Donating your body to science

Peace of mind for families

What we do:

Dear Savvy Senior, I am interested in possibly donating my body to science when I pass away. What can you tell me about this, and what would I need to do to set it up?

Dear Getting,

If you’re looking to help advance medical research, and in the process eliminate your funeral and burial costs, donating your body to science is a great option to consider. Here’s what you should know.

BODY DONATIONS

LaPlante, Esq.

Stephen A. Unsworth, Esq.

Wendy S Hillmuth, Esq.

Members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys & National Association of Elder Law Attorneys.

Each year, it’s estimated that approximately 20,000 people donate their whole body, after death, to medical facilities throughout the country to be used in medical research projects, anatomy lessons and surgical practice.

After using your body, these facilities will then provide free cremation and will either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, usually within a year.

And, just in case you’re wondering, your family cannot not be paid for the use of your body. Federal and state laws prohibit it.

Here are a few other things you need to know and check into to help you determine whether whole-body donation is right for you:

Donation denial: Most body donation programs will not accept bodies that are extremely obese, or those that have infectious diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, H.I.V. or MRSA. Bodies that suffered extensive trauma won’t be accepted either.

Organ donation: Most medical school programs require that you donate your whole body in its entirety. So, if you want to be an organ donor (with the exception of your eyes), you probably won’t qualify to be a whole-body donor too.

Religious considerations: Most major religions permit individuals to donate both their full body and organs, and many even encourage it. If you are unsure, you should consult with your pastor or spiritual adviser.

Special requests: Most programs will not allow you to donate your body for a specific purpose. You give them the body and they decide how to use it.

Memorial options: Most programs require almost immediate transport of the body after death, so there’s no funeral. If your family wants a memorial service, they can have one without the body. Or, some

By Jim Miller

programs offer memorial services at their facility at a later date without the remains.

Body transporting: Most programs will cover transporting your body to their facility within a certain distance. However, some may charge a fee.

How To Proceed

If you think you want to donate your body, it’s best to make arrangements in advance with a body donation program in your area. Most programs are offered through university-affiliated medical schools. To find one near you, the University of Florida maintains a list of U.S. programs and their contact information at www.Anatbd.acb.med. ufl.edu/usprograms. Or call the whole-body donation referral service during business hours at 800727-0700.

In addition to the medical schools, there are also private organizations like Science Care (www. ScienceCare.com) and Anatomy Gifts Registry (www.AnatomyGifts.org) that accept whole body donations too. Some of these organizations will even allow organ donation because they deal in body parts as well as whole cadavers.

Once you locate a program in your area, call and ask them to mail you an information/registration packet that will explain exactly how their program works.

To sign up, you’ll need to fill out a couple of forms and return them. But you can always change your mind by contacting the program and removing your name from their registration list. Some programs may ask that you make your withdrawal in writing.

After you’ve made arrangements, you’ll need to tell your family members so they will know what to do and who to call after your death. It’s also a good idea to tell your doctors, so they know your final wishes too.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 12

ANDREWS MCMEEL

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1945, U.S. military forces declared the island of Iwo Jima secure after 25 days of fighting.

• In 1968, U.S. Army soldiers massacred more than 300 civilians in the My Lai village in South Vietnam.

• In 1988, Lt. Col. Oliver North and Vice Adm. John Poindexter were indicted on charges of conspiracy during the Iran-Contra affair.

• In 1998, mass trials began in Rwanda for roughly 125,000 suspected perpetrators of the country’s 1994 genocide.

TODAY’S FACT:

• James Madison was the shortest U.S. president, at 5 feet 4 inches tall. He is estimated to have weighed 100 lbs.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library hours:

• Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

• Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.damlvt.org to apply for a library card, renew materials, access digital offerings and register for programs. Need help? Call 878-4918 or email daml@damlvt.org.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.

TEENS D&D

Mondays, March 20 and 27, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our Dungeons & Dragons campaign for teens.

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, March 21 and 28, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for stories and fun.

AFTER SCHOOL STEAM FUN ACTIVITY

Wednesday, March 22, 2-3 p.m. Try out experiments at the library.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, March 23 and 30, 10:3011:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, March 23, 3-4 p.m. Make something exciting with our LEGO collection.

TEEN NIGHT: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Thursday, March 23, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12plus. Join our teen advisory group — you bring the thoughts, we bring the food.

KIDS ZEN RETREAT

Friday, March 24, 3-4:30 p.m. Stop by during this time to learn some favorite mindfulness, breathing, yoga and other Zen practices from our teen volunteers.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC (NEW) see LIBRARY page 14

Saturday, March 25, 10:30-11 a.m. Enjoy music with Linda Bassick.

Janice Marie Novak, 62, of Williston, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 9, 2023, in the presence of her loving family.

She was born on July 8, 1960 in Pittsfield, MA to Joseph and Helen (Lesniak) Monterosso, the second of four children. She grew up under the warm and watchful eye of not just her parents, but a large group of friends, neighbors, and relatives as well. Her father passed away when she was a teenager and her mother raised the kids on her own after that. Janice took on the role of a second parent to her siblings, which shaped her into the compassionate and warm-hearted woman that she was.

She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1978, after which she worked at Lightning Technologies as an Executive Assistant to the CEO.

In 1986, she met a young, skinny guy named Howard at a dance club in Pittsfield. They married three years later on May 20, 1989, and moved to Vermont to set about establishing a life together. Janice again took an executive assistant position, this time working for the owners of the largest hotel in town, the Sheraton, while Howard was establishing his dental practice in Richmond.

Daughters Jessica and Alex came along a few years later and the focus of life changed. Janice loved being a mom and had a strong protective instinct (think life jackets while skating on a friend’s frozen pond). She always made family her first priority and the girls are a testament to her quality parenting!

While the kids were in school, Janice worked at several local merchants including Willow House, Marilyn’s Boutique, and Harrington’s of Vermont. She always took pride in her work and in doing her part for the family budget. She would stash her earnings away and then use them for an array of “treats” for the family, ranging from a special dinner out to little upgrades on family trips. Our family always loved her for that!

Janice got to experience many travel destinations, both domestic and abroad. She had