Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who can make a donation?

A. Anyone over age 21 is eligible to become a donor to our Anatomical Gift Program. All you need to do is sign the Anatomical Gift Pledge form (available to print from this website or, if requested, will be mailed to you) in the presence of two witnesses and send it to:

SUNY Upstate Medical University
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210.

If, as next-of-kin, you wish to donate on behalf of a dying or just deceased relative, please call us at (315) 464-4348 for more information regarding this procedure.

Q. Are there any age limits regarding who is eligible to donate?

A. We will accept the donation of any individual 21 years of age and older. There is no upper age limit for donations.

Q. May I donate even if I have had an organ removed by surgery or lost a limb?

A. Yes. We would be pleased to accept such a donation.

Q. May I donate my body and also donate my organs to an organ bank for transplantation or research purposes?

A. A person may donate his or her eyes and brain, and still donate their body to our program. However, the removal of other internal organs for transplant, such as kidneys, heart, and lungs requires extensive surgery and generally means that the body will not be acceptable for donation. If organs are not suitable for transplant, the body could be donated to us for anatomical study. To obtain information on eye donation, please contact the Central New York Eye Bank and Research Corporation at (315) 476-0199. To obtain information about organ donation, please contact the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, 1732 West Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13204 or call (315) 488-5571.

Q. Are there any other restrictions?

A. Yes. We cannot accept donations from anyone with blood borne and airborne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B or C, and Tuberculosis. To reduce the risks of anyone coming in contact with infectious organisms from the donor, a blood sample is obtained from each donation and analyzed for the above mentioned diseases. However, these tests may not be very accurate because they are designed to analyze the blood from living individuals. Occasionally, inaccurate results may be obtained. Should this occur, we would like to be able to contact the donor's physician in order to ascertain whether or not the individual was infected by the above organisms. Therefore, we ask that you acknowledge your understanding of our request for this information on the Anatomical Gift Pledge form so that we can ensure the safety of those who come in contact with the donation. All information will be held in strict confidence by the Department. If the donor is a prior pledge and has had a contagious disease, the Department will cremate the donation and return the cremains to the next-of-kin at no cost to the family.

Q. What if I change my mind?

A. A pledge may be withdrawn at any time. A note to that effect would be appreciated so that we may change our records.

Q. What if my family does not agree with my wish to donate?

A. A donation can be accepted only if your next-of-kin or other responsible party is willing to abide by your wishes and release your body to the SUNY Upstate Medical University by signing the appropriate forms. Under New York State law, the next-of-kin is not obligated to abide by your wishes and donate your body. Therefore, the Release of Remains Permission form included with this brochure must be signed by the responsible party at the time of death or arrangements should be made by telephone to send this release via telegram or fax. This form must accompany each donation. If the next-of-kin is not available, the form can be signed by a responsible individual (i.e. attorney, clergyman, physician, health care provider, executor/executrix). If the Release of Remains Permission form is missing, contact the funeral director who will obtain one from our office. If you wish to donate, you should notify your family, physician, and/or attorney of your intentions. A donor card to keep in your wallet will be sent to you after you return the donation pledge form. Please keep this donor card in your possession at all times. If you think it would help, you might want to share this brochure with your family so that they may gain a better insight into the program.

Q. May I designate a particular purpose for the use of my body?

A. You may note your preference on the donor form, and we will make an effort to honor it, but we can accept a body only as an unrestricted anatomical gift since research and educational needs vary from year to year.

Q. What steps should be taken to release my body to the SUNY Upstate Medical University upon my death?

A. Your next-of-kin, or another person responsible for arrangements, should request that the hospital or doctor contact a licensed funeral director to make arrangements for transporting the body to our building within 24 to 48 hours after death. A licensed funeral director will also deliver the Release of Remains Permission form, the Return of Cremains form, a photocopy of the Death Certificate (signed by doctor), and the Burial Permit. They should also notify the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology of their desire to have your body donated.

From Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the telephone number to call is:

(315) 464-5120 or 464-8582.

After hours or on weekends, please page:

Daniel Jaeger at (315) 441-6780.
If Mr. Jaeger is not available, please contact the Upstate Medical University Admitting Office at (315) 464-5280. The Admitting Office will accept the Burial Permit, photocopy of the Death Certificate, the Release of Remains Permission form, and the Return of Cremains form; and will arrange for the body to be stored temporarily in the hospital's morgue.

Q. Will the donation be affected if an autopsy is performed?

A. The SUNY Upstate Medical University will accept any donation from someone who was previously pledged, whether or not an autopsy has been performed. In this case, upon receipt of the donation, the body will be cremated and the family notified. If an individual is NOT a prior pledge, a body which has been autopsied or is subject to a coroner's request for autopsy generally cannot be accepted for donation. However, the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology will review individual cases for exceptions.

Q. Is a funeral director needed?

A. Yes. By law, only a licensed funeral director may transport a body. The funeral director is also responsible for obtaining:

Burial Permit
photocopy of the death certificate
Release of Remains Permission form
Medical Records Release form
Return of Cremains from the next-of-kin

These forms must accompany a donated body.

Q. Is a casket needed?

A. No casket or other container needs to be purchased in order to have the body transported to the Upstate Medical University.

Q. What about a viewing or funeral services?

A. To accomplish the objectives of our program, it is imperative that the donation be delivered to our facility within 48 hours after death. We prefer not to accept any donation that has been embalmed prior to delivery to our facility. We recognize this means that the body will not be present should the family want to have calling hours or a funeral service. Such activities would make it difficult to utilize the donation for our stated purposes.

Q. What about costs incurred?

A. It is required by law that the deceased be transported to the SUNY Upstate Medical University by a licensed funeral director. Arrangements should be made with a licensed funeral director of your choosing by your family or estate attorney. Transportation costs will vary and should be determined prior to making final arrangements. The SUNY Upstate Medical University will pay a licensed funeral director $100.00 toward the transportation fee, plus a round-trip mileage allowance.

Q. What happens if I die some distance away from my home or SUNY Upstate Medical University?

A. If the distance makes transporting the body impractical, a representative of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology will provide a list of medical schools that may accept the donation geographically closer to the place of death.

Q. What happens to my remains?

A. Upon completion of our studies, the remains will be cremated at the expense of the SUNY Upstate Medical University. If requested, the cremains of the donor will be returned to the family or to a funeral director for burial. If the donor did not request that the cremains be returned on the original pledge form, the survivor may obtain the cremains by completing a Return of Cremains form at the time of death. Occasionally, there may be times when the donated body provides a unique educational opportunity such that we would like to retain a portion of the donation for archival purpose for teaching future students. Unless notified to the contrary, the SUNY Upstate Medical University reserves the right to retain a portion of the donation to be archived as specimens for teaching purposes.

Q. When will the cremains be returned?

A. The time frame varies with each donation. The maximum time a donation is kept is two years. Many donations are kept for a much shorter period of time. Shortly before the cremains are returned via certified mail, a letter is sent to the next-of-kin. If a designated survivor moves, he or she should notify our department of the new address. If there has been a change in the designee, that person's new name and address should also be provided to the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. Please be sure to notify our office if there is a need to have the cremains returned prior to the two-year period.