General Information Regarding Body Donation
We commend you for your benevolent attitude in considering body donation. Through donating your body you will make a significant contribution to medical science by enabling health care professionals to gain a better understanding of the normal and diseased states of the human body. The response in our State has been most gratifying. However, the number of donations will need to increase as educational programs in the medical field continue to expand. We are most grateful for your willingness to consider the donation of your body. The procedure for donating one’s body is quite simple.
The donor or the surviving relatives must make arrangements with a local funeral home, crematory or mortuary and pay for:
- Preliminary embalming
- Transportation to one of our receiving facilities located at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, or the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando.
The Anatomical Board receives no financial support from the State and regrets the necessity of requiring that you pay for the above services.
Bodies cannot be accepted for donation if:
- An autopsy has been performed
- Death was caused by a crushing injury
- The individual had extreme obesity or a highly contagious disease (such as AIDS or hepatitis B or C)
There is no age limit on donated bodies. It is important for the family to recognize that the Anatomical Board cannot issue reports regarding the cause of death or any findings. If a family wishes to receive such information, they should have an autopsy performed by a qualified pathologist.
If you are agreeable to the above conditions, please sign TWO copies of the dedication forms. You should keep one for your personal records and return one to our Gainesville office. Thank you for your interest in our donation program.
