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Ive watched both episodes, what brave families i admire them so much, its a hard enough time as it is without cameras. Convinced me to tell my family i want to donate my body (thought about it on and off for good few years). I presume you have to legally make your wishes known?

If you just want your body to be generally useful in terms of donating parts ,then you only need to carry a donor card. If you want to go to a specific place such as a university for teaching or research, then you need to contact the bequeathals office of said institution .

They give you forms to fill in , questions about past medical history , and explain that acceptance of your body on death will be subject to you not having died of certain things , and also whether the university or whatever actually requires a body at that particular time , as they can only take so many. You return the forms , keep a set yourself , and make sure your family or friend or Dr , know they exist and where they are , because those you leave behind, need to act fast in contacting wherever you have registered.

Chris if you want to donate you're body then you contact the University directly to make the necessary arrangements.( your family cannot insist it is what you want after you're death ) You can stipulate a length of time they keep you for prior to funeral. I have a friend who works in said department. Hope this helps.

A donor card is not the only way to tell your family of your wishes. Of course, when it comes to your passing, your family may have forgotton about the donor card unless of course you stick it around your neck and wear it.

By going down the university route, this could be a safer option but it would be reliant upon somebody finding the forms when you pass. Again making sure your family and doctor know is good to.

However, a combination of the above plus including it in your Will would seal the deal so to speak. You can include all sorts of things in your Will including funeral arrangements and usage of your body for scientific purposes.

If you require assistance with drafting a Will, please let me know