• Question: can parts of your body still be used after death

    Asked by Tobi to Anna, James, Joe, Leonie, Olivia on 17 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Joe Spencer

      Joe Spencer answered on 17 Mar 2015:

      Tobi,
      Yes, in general, depends on the circumstance of death. But doctors often quite like to use organs from people who have passed away to help save lives of others

    • Photo: Leonie Oostwoud Wijdenes

      Leonie Oostwoud Wijdenes answered on 17 Mar 2015:

      Also, some people donate their whole body to science. So that students (like me) can learn the human anatomy on real dead bodies.

    • Photo: James Pope

      James Pope answered on 17 Mar 2015:

      Hi Tobi,

      There is a great deal we can do to help others during and after our lives, that is why I get to the blood donor centre as often as possible, I am signed up to a bone marrow donation register to help people with lukeamia and I have an organ donor card, so that when I die it is possible for other people to benefit from my body.

      Sadly, a friend of mine died about 10 years ago now when we were both 18. Because of the nature of his death, his internal organs Liver, Stomach, Heart and Lungs all went to people are age who needed transplants and even his corneas from his eyes were given to someone.

      I have also seen the benefits of transplants, my soon to be Father-In-Law has recieved a double lung transplant and is a hundred times the man he was before he recieved the transplant. His life has gone from being bed bound on oxygen to able to do everyday tasks around the house, drive and plan a wedding.

    • Photo: Olivia Lynes

      Olivia Lynes answered on 18 Mar 2015:

      Yes they can be used by other people. It depends on the body part though. My sister’s lungs could be used by Leonie to study the body but not by someone who needs a lung transplant because she has asthma.

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