Yes, a place to send donations of the brain and spinal cord would be excellent. Often samples are only needed, so many facilities can use them for different studies. I feel this is where I want to send my remains when the time comes.
@Pyrrhus has helped to make a list of places that accept such "offerings." As I've found out this is harder to do than one thinks. Arrangements have been made ahead of time and my family knows. Whether the samples are used for the proper thing would be completely out of my hands and those of my family. This is a shortcoming that people are working on.
All of us should be prepared with Wills, Foundations involved (if we want) and the like. I first started doing this when I was quite young...so it's just to have it in case of emergency since we don't know what tomorrow may bring for any of us (and that includes basic accidents).
Congratulations on your forward thinking. It can be upsetting as you make arrangements, but once they're over it's life back to normal as usual. I realized the importance of this when my husband suffered two cardiac arrests on the same day (with CA you're generally dead right away...it's different than a heart attack). We immediately made all arrangements then and have continued to change them as life has changed and our daughters have become older. It's a good plan....just like paying your insurance.
I did not respect (or like) the way organ transplantation was handled in Rod's case. Truly, they were like vultures and it was only with one daughter telling them to actually do something for her father instead of waiting for his death that they stopped pressuring us. (They're a different team, anyway.) I'm in favor of organ donation, but strongly feel that it's the family's decision and they should be present before the decision is made. This other is scary and gives the program a bad name....there is a lot of money made in organ transplantation.
Yes, of course I would have donated, but all of us, including friends present changed their drivers' licenses that day. We've lost family members who could have benefited from transplantation, so we were exactly what they needed....until their performance belied them. Most organs can be used if kept on life support anyway....some can always be harvested.
For us to make our own arrangements is a lasting gift to our families. We try to keep them updated, everything is listed and it's up to them to keep the info in a safe place. Good for you. Yours Lenora.
