Issue 45.12
Last week we submitted an article to the Senior Sampler entitled “Donating Your Body to Science.” In that article we discussed the facts involved with body donation, and this article will expound on the topic. If you have already chosen to be cremated, you may also want to consider donating your body to science.
Donating your body to science is a selfless decision that can greatly improve the quality of humankind. Whole body donation is the voluntary contribution of the entire body for use in medical research and education, often leading to new medical and surgical techniques. Once the medical research or educational process of the donation is completed, the body is then cremated and returned to the family.
When a death occurs, it is necessary for a local funeral home to remove the body from the place of death, file all of the necessary paperwork, and provide transportation of the body to the donation company. Other funeral homes charge for these services; however, the Cremation Center of Southern Utah does not. Because we have service contracts in place, the anatomical donation companies pay us directly for our services, thus providing a true zero cost cremation to the public.
Certain individuals may not qualify for body donation. Each donation company maintains their own specific set of guidelines and requirements for accepting a body, but basic guidelines state that a body must be free from any infectious disease, obesity, edema, sepsis, drug use, surgery of knees or hips, trauma, or autopsy. Certain companies’ requirements are more rigid than others. It is at the discretion of the donation company to accept or reject a body based on individual circumstances.
Many people choose to pre-register for whole body donation. The Cremation Center of Southern Utah has all of the forms and paperwork necessary to assist you in this process. We will answer all of your questions and guide you through this important decision. To find out if you qualify for body donation and a zero cost cremation, contact us today at (435) 986-9100, or visit us just off Riverside Dr. at 1316 S. 400 E., St. George, UT.