Q: Please explain what MedCure does?
A: MedCure is an organization that serves as a link between a donor and the medical researchers and educators that rely on donors to help discover cures for diseases and develop new and effective treatments and therapies. We do this by acquiring, recovering, processing, storing and distributing organs and tissues to medical researchers and educators throughout the United States.
A: Most people who want to donate can. There is no upper age limit and most disease processes are acceptable but may affect what tissues will be donated.
A: A person who wishes to donate may pre-register by completing a donor consent form. After your decision to become a donor, the most important step you can take to ensure donation happens is to inform all of your family/next-of-kin of your decision. It is your family/next-of-kin who will be responsible for contacting MedCure.
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Q: Who cannot donate?
A: Anyone known to have any infectious disease such as Hepatitis B or C, HIV/AIDS, active tuberculosis, severe obesity, history of illegal IV drug use, or incarceration. These conditions could prohibit the donation.
Q: I am already a donor on my driver's license, why do I need to complete a separate registration with you?
A: The symbol on your driver's license states your desire for your organs and tissues to be used for transplanting a living organ from one person to another, if possible, at the time of your death. Transplant donation is very important, but persons willing to donate for this cause may be unsuitable for this type of donation based on circumstances surrounding their death.
It is recommended that a person willing to donate in helping others complete both an authorization for transplant donation AND whole body donation. If one of these options is not possible at the time of death, the other may be carried out to fulfill the donor's wish to help others.
Q: If I do donate any organs or tissues for transplant, can I also be a body donor through MedCure?
A: This is possible in only a few cases. After death has occurred, if tissues or organs can be used for transplant and the donor wishes to also donate to medical science and education, MedCure may be able to arrange this.
Q: What are the costs associated with donation?
A: We cover all costs associated with the donation process. That includes transportation from the place of death to MedCure, the filing and processing of the death certificate, cremation and return of cremated remains (in a heart shaped urn) to the family.
Q: When must I decide to donate?
A: You can pre-register at any time by signing a donor consent form. After death has occurred the legal next-of-kin can consent to donation if all family members are in agreement.
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Q: How can I pre-register?
A: By completing the “Donor Consent” form. You can download the form from our website at www.MedCure.org or call 1-866-560-2525 for a mailed copy.
Q: How long does the donation process take?
A: From the beginning of the donation process to the return of cremated remains it takes generally three weeks. Certified death certificates may take longer to obtain depending on the state or county that processes them.
Q: Will donating interfere with funeral arrangements?
A: With whole body donation open casket viewing is not possible. However, a memorial service with cremated remains is very common with our donor families.
Q: If I become a donor can I request which research organizations or types of studies I would like participate in?
A: Yes, you can specify what disease, condition or study you would like to participate in. You would write this request on the margin of our "Donor Consent" form. We cannot guarantee that your request for participation in a specific research study will happen at the time of your death; it is based on the researchers needs at the time. We have had success in the past with linking people to the study/research that they specifically wanted.
Q: Who is responsible for providing transportation to MedCure?
A: Upon notification of a donor’s death, arrangements will be made by MedCure for the transportation and care of your loved one.
Q.: Do I need to complete a separate “Cremation Authorization” form?
A. The “Cremation Authorization” form needs to be completed in advance for donors that have no surviving next-of-kin. Under normal circumstances, the legal next-of-kin would be directed to complete this authorization after death has occurred.
A. MedCure operates on an cost recovery system. This means that MedCure receives reasonable compensation for the costs incurred in recovering, processing and matching donors with researcher/educator needs. The Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (2006) prohibits the sale of human organs or tissue.
There are no costs to the donor family associated with the donation to MedCure.
MedCure continues to look for ways that we can help in furthering medical research efforts. MedCure is pleased to have provided financial support to these medical research associations:
St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
www.stjude.org
National Foundation for Cancer Research
www.nfcr.org
Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org
American Diabetes Association
www.diabenewtes.org
The ALS Association
www.alsa.org
If you would like to talk with a MedCure Representative, please call us toll free: 1-866-560-2525 or email us at: info@medcure.org
