Q: Since I was a teen (I’m astir 68 now), I person wanted to donate my assemblage to subject due to the fact that I didn’t similar the thought of taking up abstraction successful a cemetery.
I had a declaration with Emory University Medical School successful Atlanta to travel get my assemblage arsenic soon arsenic I died. My household and friends knew it was my tendency and, adjacent though they thought it odd, they accepted it.
When I retired and moved here, I knew Emory wouldn’t beryllium an enactment anymore.
I inactive privation to bash it and I’m hoping you cognize of aesculapian schools oregon probe labs successful Fort Lauderdale and adjacent cities that would privation my body. I americium delighted you volition bash the research. I americium successful nary hurry— astatine least, I anticipation not. LOL.” — Ernie Blankenship, Oakland Park
A: Ernie, what you privation to bash is truthful important and warms my heart. How other volition subject beforehand to prevention much lives if we don’t marque sacrifices (and occasionally marque our relatives a small uncomfortable)?
The authorities of Florida has a precise organized strategy for accepting bodies for its aesculapian schools. The Anatomical Board of the State of Florida distributes them done 3 world centers: the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, and the 1 closest to us, University of Miami.
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UM dispenses cadavers to 7 South Florida sites, including its ain school, the Miller School of Medicine, arsenic good arsenic to Florida Atlantic University, Barry University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the Coral Gables subdivision of the University of St. Augustine.
Freshman aesculapian students, carnal therapy students, aesculapian residents and continuing acquisition students larn from the corpses, according to UM’s Willed Body Program website. Not everyone is allowed to donate: Cancer patients are accepted, but immoderate bodies are rejected for reasons including superior injury, value of much than 250 pounds oregon contagious disease.
I wasn’t acquainted with this program, truthful I was amazed to larn South Florida schools received 105 bodies past year, which “covers what we need,” according to David Hoodiman, the med school’s manager of assemblage donor services. More women than men donated their bodies, different astonishment to me; the ratio was 2:1, helium said.
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Donors indispensable marque their ain arrangements to get their remains to the university, with costs typically ranging from $800 to $3,000 for mentation and transport, said Hoodiman, who is licensed arsenic a ceremonial director.
Hoodiman said his unit performs further embalming connected bodies due to the fact that these person to past arsenic agelong arsenic 2 years, depending connected erstwhile the idiosyncratic dies successful narration to the world calendar. Everyone with entree to the cadaver laboratory is required to motion a “pledge of respect,” vowing not to devour adjacent the body, marque jokes oregon instrumentality pictures, helium said.
Cadavers are cremated aft use. Remains whitethorn beryllium moved to the tract of your choice, oregon the Anatomical Board volition dispersed the ashes implicit the Atlantic Ocean.
If aesculapian pupil acquisition doesn’t entreaty to you, different options see donating your organs done the National Donate Life Registry (donatelife.net) oregon offering your cornea oregon different oculus insubstantial done the Florida Lions Eye Bank (fleb.org).
There’s besides the Florida Brain Bank for those who person had age-related dementia for astatine slightest a twelvemonth (adrccares.org/brainbank).
If you person much questions astir UM’s assemblage donation program, Hoodiman said to consciousness escaped to interaction him. Call 305-243-6691 oregon email dhoodiman@miami.edu.
Got questions astir beingness successful South Florida? Email Lois astatine AskLois@sunsentinel.com.
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