National
Body Donor Program
P.O. Box 775039
St. Louis, MO 63177
314-241-NBDP (6237)
866-382-NBDP (6237)
The
National Body Donor Program
The Process:
Upon death, the hospital,
hospice or other healthcare provider should contact NBDP at 314-241-NBDP
(6237) or 866-382-NBDP (6237).
A NBDP coordinator
will contact your family to obtain telephone consent for the Gift of Body
donation.
After consent is obtained
your family will be asked to complete a medical/social history questionnaire.
The questionnaire will be completed by phone.
Suitability for Gift
of Body donation is assessed at time of death. Research program needs and
utilization change frequently. Suitability is dependent on cause of death
and medical/social history prior to death. After obtaining consent and a
medical/social history, research placement suitability will be determined.
Since the entire body
is donated, a traditional viewing and funeral is not possible.
Specific organs, tissues
and/or extremities will be placed with various research agencies across
the country. Anything not utilized for research will be cremated.
Cremains can be returned
to the family in a simple urn.
Once it is determined
that the patient is a suitable candidate for the Gift of Body donation it
is the responsibility of the family or guardian of the patient to make arrangements
with a local funeral home to deliver the Gift of Body to NBDP. NBDP can
recommend funeral service providers whose costs are reasonable even if the
patient is not suitable for Gift of Body donation.
It is possible for
someone to donate organs and/or tissue for transplant, and then non-transplantable
tissue and the body may be offered to Gift of Body donation. For transplantable
organs and tissue the family should contact Mid-America Transplant Services
at 314-991-1661
