News & FCAME Publications: Reference Guide

VI. DONATION

Introduction
I. Funerals
II. Cremation
III. Earth Burial
IV. Legalities
V. Prepaying Your Funeral
VI. Donation (Whole Body, Organ/Tissue)
VII. Veterans Cemeteries

What is meant by WHOLE BODY DONATION?

This is donation of one's entire body at death (as opposed to just organs or tissue). Donation is typically to a medical school's "willed body program" or "anatomical gift program," or to a state agency which coordinates donation to medical schools within the state. In Maryland, contact THE MARYLAND ANATOMY BOARD for details:

State Anatomy Board
Bressler Building
655 W. Baltimore Street Room B-026
Baltimore, MD 21201-1559
phone: 1-800-879-2728; 410-547-1222

In West Virginia:

Human Gift Registry
WV University
4052 Robt. C. Byrd Health Sci. Ctr. N.
P.O. Box 9131
Morgantown, WV 26506
304-293-6322

Marshall University
School of Medicine
Human Gift Registry
Huntington, WV 25704
304-696-7382

WV School of Osteopathic Medicine
400 N. Lee St.
Lewisburg, WV 24901
304-645-6270

In Delaware: There is no equivalent of Maryland's Anatomy Board, nor are there medical schools. Contact the nearest neighboring state for medical schools with willed body programs.

Whom should one contact for information about organ/tissue donation?

In suburban Maryland (i.e, the Washington, D.C. suburbs):

Washington Regional Transplant Consortium
8110 Gatehouse Rd. Suite 101
West Falls Church, Va. 22042
703-641-0100

also located at:

1250 I Street, N.W. Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20005
phone: 202-223-8229

In the rest of Maryland:

Transplant Resource Center of Maryland
1540 Caton Center Drive, Suite R
Baltimore, MD 21227
410-242-7000; 800-641-4376

In Delaware:

Gift of Life Donor Program
2000 Hamilton Street Suite 201
Philadelphia, Pa. 19130-3813
215-557-8090; 1-800-366-6771
(serves eastern. Pa., southern N.J., and Delaware)

In West Virginia:

Center for Organ Recovery (CORE)
200 Association Drive
Charleston, W.Va. 25311
1-800-366-6777

(Headquartered at: 204 Sigma Drive, RIDC Park, Pittsburg, Pa. 15235; same phone number)

Note: W.Va. is divided among four federally mandated Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO's). CORE says it will refer potential donors to the apprpriate OPO, which is determined by county of residence.