The Donation Process

• Preregistration with SIU or AGA is not necessary.
• We recommend making prearrangements with the funeral home of your choice, letting them know of your wish to make this gift.
• Complete two copies of the Anatomical Gift by Next of Kin form, leaving the date/location of death blank. The appropriate responsible person should sign.  Leave one copy of the completed form with the funeral home, and retain the other copy with your personal papers.
• Upon your death, the funeral home should be contacted, and they will handle the arrangements with us. They will transport the body to us, along with the donation form,  a copy of the death certificate, and state permits for disposition and cremation. You or your estate will be responsible for any charges by the funeral home, although the School of Medicine pays for the cremation.  On the Carbondale campus embalming is done at no charge by faculty and students in the Mortuary Science program.
• Anatomical donations are typically studied by students for at least an entire school year, then cremated.
• If you desire, the cremated remains can be returned to your family at no charge when our study is complete.  You should expect that this will take 18 - 36 months from the time of donation.
• Any remains that are not desired by the family will be interred in our mausoleum at Pleasant Grove Cemetery between Carbondale and Murphysboro.

• There is no maximum age, but donations under age 21 are accepted only under special circumstances.
• Maximum body size is 6'5" tall and 24" elbow to elbow.
• Neither bodies that have been autopsied nor used for organ donations (other than corneas) are accepted by SIU School of Medicine.
• Individuals with any conditions that would put students at risk, including the following are not acceptable donors:  AIDS/HIV, bacterial sepsis, Hepatitis B or C, Herpes II, Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, meningitis, Paget's disease, staphylococcus or tuberculosis.
• Time between death and the donation may be a factor.

For additional information call or e-mail Rhonda Seeber, (618) 453-1467.  In Springfield, contact Research Services, (217) 545-8910.  There is also considerable general information available about body donation at http://www.agaillinois.org or phone (800)734-5283.