Uniform Anatomical Gift Act

[angledge]

I got my California driver's license in the mail yesterday. With it came a card upon which I can state whether or not I wish to donate my body to science in the event that I die. I said yes - they can have any organs, tissues, or parts that are recoverable, for use either as transplants or for medical research.

Anyway, part of the form reminded me to "discuss my decision with affected parties". So ... I don't know how many of you would consider yourself "affected parties", but hey, I consider public posts in this journal to be good records of my opinions. I suppose I'll tell my parents when next we talk on the phone.

Comments

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

I'm reading a book called "Stiff" (will look up full title and author if you want) that starts off with a chapter about using disembodied heads for face lift practice.

Are you cool with your bits and pieces being used for practicing purely elective cosmetic surgical procedures like that? While I'd prefer to think that my bits would go to needy transplant recipients or cancer researchers, I can deal with such use of my body. But it is something morbid I hadn't thought about before.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

I think it's "Stiff: The Fascinating Lives of Cadavers" or something like that. I've been meaning to read it for a while.

Sally Mann did an interesting series of photos that were taken in a location that the FBI (or somesuch) used to study rate of decay in bodies. The photos were basically of corpses left to lie in a field and rot. Granted that is really useful in solving crimes and whatnot, I'm sure. But ick.

Nonetheless, I certainly support your decision to be a donor. I said yes too. :)

[angledge.livejournal.com]

The Body Farm is TOTALLY cool.

[funkyplaid.livejournal.com]

One of the pioneers of forensic body experimentation was Bill Bass, who opened the Bass Archaeological research Foundation, or BARF for short. There're some great accounts of this place in the book, 'Dead Men Do Tell Tales' by the late William Maples.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

Or maybe I'm not a tissue donor, just organs. But in any case, I signed up for whatever program DC has.

FBI- Cadavers

[(Anonymous)]

I know it's over a month, but I wanted to reply to you about those FBI cadavers...it's true. My brother trained in one of those locations, out in the Midwest, they have all kinds of bodies in open graves, frozen, ect. He said it's like walking through a Halloween Haunt, but it being real bodies...
Doreen-not yet a livejournal user...

no cosmetic surgery, even AFTER I'm dead!

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Are you cool with your bits and pieces being used for practicing purely elective cosmetic surgical procedures like that?

I have to admit, I'd be a little disappointed if that's was the final use of my corpse. But I bet that trivial uses like that are a tiny percentage of the total. It's far more likely that my corpse would get used as I envision - for saving someone's life.

Then again, once I'm dead it won't matter to me at all, now will it?