Death is the one thing that none of us can escape, and unfortunately for many it comes far too early. But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom to your passing. Donating part or all of your body to science can have great influence on everything and everyone around us, and even change what the future holds for your loved ones that carry on, and their descendants. In a way your legacy lives on through the marvels of science!
One of the most valuable benefits of body donation is the money that will be saved. A Donated body doesn’t need a burial ceremony, casket, or reception services that a traditional death would ensue. While this certainly won’t affect you (hey, you’re already dead right?), you’re loved ones and those responsible for your estate postmortem will be under considerably less stress. And though body donation can put an emotional strain on said loved ones, usually families or the responsible party are given the option to have your body either returned after it has been put to good use, or cremated and returned in this fashion, at which point a traditional funeral could still be carried out. However there is no timeline for how long a donated body will be a good use to a medical science institution, so usually a headstone or marker is placed in remembrance instead.
The benefits to the medical field are the true bastions here, though. With medical technology, and technology in general, advancing so quickly having a viable human body to experiment with to test new systems of treatment is essential. There’s no telling the advancements that could be made from the body you leave behind. Good quality donations are also required in medical training for young surgeons to gain invaluable experience working with real body parts. While this practice may not be as prevalent as it was in earlier times, it is still the most accurate and expansive training method for young doctors. I’d much rather have a doctor that had actually performed open heart procedures on a cadaver then one that had only done it using computer simulations! When used for experimentation, donated bodies can provide a wealth of information when trying to discover new ways and techniques of healing. A more efficient method of performing heart valve by-pass surgery or discovering a faster way of accessing a blood clot could save millions of lives in the future, all from your donated body.
Our entire society is based on knowledge, and advancement through it. If you’re someone that believes in bettering humanity for countless future generations to come, or if you just like the idea of making a difference even after you’re gone, then donating your body to science might be just what you’re looking for!
