Frequently Asked Questions

There is no age limit for donating to the Body Bequeathal Program. Acceptance is determined at the time of death and depends on the circumstances of the donation and the program’s capacity and needs at that time. Although Western hopes to accept every eligible donor, there may be circumstances in which a donation cannot be accepted.

Organ and tissue donation and whole-body donation are both meaningful ways to contribute to health care and society. In most cases, organ or tissue donation means that a whole-body donation cannot also proceed. Corneal donation is the exception and does not prevent acceptance into the Body Bequeathal Program.

Body donation is a personal decision that may be shaped by religious, spiritual, cultural, and family beliefs. We encourage prospective donors to discuss their wishes with their family and, where appropriate, with a trusted religious, spiritual, or cultural advisor. Western’s Body Bequeathal Program welcomes donors from all backgrounds, and we are committed to caring for every donor with dignity, respect, and gratitude throughout their time in our care.

Yes. You may change your mind at any time. After your death, your estate trustee may also decide not to proceed with the donation. If you wish to withdraw from the program, please tell your estate trustee so that they are aware of your decision. Your choice will always be respected.

The length of time a donor remains in the program depends on educational and research needs. A donor may remain in Western’s care from approximately four months to a maximum of three years, with many donors contributing for about one year. After the donor’s contribution to education or research is complete, Western arranges for cremation.

Donors contribute to education and training in many programs, including medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, and undergraduate health and medical sciences. Some donors also support postgraduate teaching and skills-based training for both new and experienced health professionals. Donations may also contribute to approved research intended to improve anatomical knowledge, teaching methods, clinical procedures, and patient care. All research involving human cadaveric material at Western is subject to ethical oversight.

Once a donor is accepted into the program, Western University determines how the donation can have the greatest educational and scholarly impact. This may include contributions to education, professional training, or approved research. To ensure each generous gift is stewarded toward the greatest educational, scholarly, and societal benefit, donors are not able to select a particular course, procedure, or research project. A donation may also contribute to work that is unrelated to the donor’s cause of death. Every donor is treated with care, gratitude, and respect throughout the program.

Long-term retention means that, with specific consent, an anatomical region or part of a donor’s gift may remain in Western’s care beyond the usual time a donor remains in the program. This allows the donation to continue supporting education, professional training, or approved research for future learners and scholars.

Long-term retention only occurs when a donor has provided explicit consent for this specific purpose. By default, donors are cremated once their time in the program has concluded. When long-term retention occurs, Western remains responsible for respectful care, secure storage, documentation, ethical oversight, and eventual cremation of the retained anatomical material. In general, retained anatomical material may remain in the program for more than one to two decades. Every retained donation is treated with the same dignity, confidentiality, and gratitude as every donor entrusted to Western’s care.

The estate trustee named in your will has the authority to decide whether the donation will proceed after your death. If you do not have a will, the person legally authorized to act as your next-of-kin can provide consent. We encourage prospective donors to discuss their wishes with their estate trustee and family in advance.

The estate is responsible for fees charged by the family’s selected Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO)-licensed provider for the initial arrangements required to bring the donor into Western University’s care. These costs may include documentation, transportation, professional fees, and other related disbursements.

Once the donor has been received into the program, Western University arranges and pays for the donor’s eventual cremation. This typically occurs approximately 18 to 36 months after the donor is received into the program.

Your preferred funeral service provider helps complete the required documentation, registers the death, and arranges transportation of the donor into Western’s care. Families may also choose to hold a private funeral or memorial service for their loved one. The funeral director can help make these arrangements, which are separate from Western’s memorial service honouring donors.

We understand that families may wish to see or say goodbye to their loved one. Once a donor has been transferred into Western’s care, visits and viewings are no longer possible. Families who would like a viewing or private farewell should discuss these arrangements with their funeral service provider before the donor is entrusted to Western.

Yes. When a donor’s time in the program has concluded, Western arranges for the donor to be cremated individually as a whole person. The cremated remains are then returned to the family or, when requested by the family, interred in Western University’s cemetery plot.

If a donor has provided specific consent for long-term retention, the retained anatomical material remains in Western’s care beyond the usual time in the program. These retained materials are eventually cremated respectfully, but they are cremated together with other long-term retention materials and are not returned to the family; instead, they are interred in Western University’s burial plot at Woodland Cemetery.

Western University maintains a burial plot at Woodland Cemetery. Families wishing to visit a loved one who has been interred should contact the Body Bequeathal Program for directions to the plot.

Western protects the identity and personal information of every donor. Access to identifying information is limited to authorized individuals, and learners and researchers receive only the information necessary for their educational or research activities, such as the donor’s age, sex, and cause of death. Western’s Body Bequeathal Program follows the requirements of PHIPA with respect to donor identity, health history, and medical records. Western treats each donor’s personal story with the same care and respect as their physical gift.

Western’s Body Bequeathal Program operates under Ontario’s Anatomy Act, which governs consent, the institutions authorized to receive donations, record-keeping, respectful care, and the final disposition of remains. Western University’s operating procedures ensure that all individuals who work with donated bodies act as stewards, upholding professionalism, ethical conduct, and privacy comparable to that afforded to living patients in the healthcare system. Western also maintains strict rules around laboratory access, security, and media use to ensure that donor information and images remain protected. Stewards are responsible for maintaining accurate records, safe storage, and ethical oversight throughout a donor’s contribution to education or research. Western’s Body Bequeathal Program also follows the requirements of PHIPA with respect to donor identity, health history, and medical records. Access to this information is limited to authorized individuals.

Western’s anatomy laboratories are bright, clean, and professional teaching spaces with both natural and artificial light. They are vibrant, welcoming learning environments where students can learn safely and respectfully, and they are carefully maintained for both our learners and the donors entrusted to our care.