Considering organ or body donation
Deciding whether or not to donate organs is important. Letting your friends and family know your wishes on organ donation is a key step to thinking ahead.
Organ donation can only occur if a person dies in a hospital, so even if you are a donor, but you die at home, your organs cannot safely be transplanted.
If you wish to donate any of your organs, make sure you carry your organ donation card. You can apply for an Organ Donor Card by texting Free text the word ‘Donor’ to 50050, by applying online at www.ika.ie, or by having it noted on your driving license. Irish Kidney Association also offers an app that can help you to begin the organ donation conversation with your family.
Body Donation
If you want to donate your body for medical research, you must make arrangements with a relevant medical facility prior to your death. Currently, there are 5 schools in Ireland which accept donated bodies. Each medical school has its own procedures for entering into an agreement with you.
- University College Dublin
- Trinity College Dublin
- The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
- University College Cork
- National University of Ireland, Galway
Education facilities cannot accept a body if you have certain conditions or if a post-mortem has been carried out.
