Register Intent to donate

The University of Calgary Body Donation Program greatly appreciates the generosity of all those interested in donating their bodies for medical education. Please note that acceptance decisions can only be made at the time of death, and completion of the registration forms does not guarantee acceptance by the program. All potential donors are encouraged to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their family members and executors. This includes the wish to donate, and alternate plans should the program be unable to accept the donation at the time of your death. While registration with the program in advance is encouraged, it is not required for a donation to take place. 

Expressing Your Intent to Donate

While we are deeply grateful for every potential donor, when one expresses their interest in Whole Body Donation they are not immediately accepted into the Program; no decisions regarding acceptance are made until after death.

We encourage potential donors to make alternative end of life plans.

Please complete the following online submission form, or print the form and return it to our program via mail, fax or email to complete the registration process. In return you will receive a formal letter stating your wishes to donate as well as two cards that include an individual registration number along with our 24/7 notification of death phone number.  

According to current Alberta legislation, consent for donation may be provided by the following individuals, in priority order:

  1. Adult deceased person if they legally authorized their donation prior to their death
  2. The executor appointed by the deceased
  3. The spouse or adult interdependent partner of the person if they are not estranged
  4. An adult child of the person
  5. A parent or guardian of the person
  6. An adult sibling of the person
  7. Any other adult next of kin of the person.

In the case consent has not been legally authorized by a potential donor prior to their death adult next-of-kin may provide consent as long as:

  1. A person in a higher priority class is not readily available to provide a consent;
  2. A person in the same class would not refuse to give a consent;
  3. The deceased person would not have refused to give a consent.
Online Form PDF Form

Steps for Registration

  1. Familiarize Yourself: Familiarize yourself with our program, including eligibility criteria and the expected length of stay within the Program. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  2. Discuss Your Choice: Body donation affects not only the donor, but also those left behind. We strongly recommend discussing your decision with your executor and loved ones. Their inclusion helps ensure understanding of your wishes and can ease future decision-making. Please ensure they are aware that registration does not guarantee acceptance into the program and that alternative arrangements may be required.
  3. Complete Program Registration: To register in the program, please complete and return the registration form. Once registered, you will receive two donor cards, which should be kept with you and/or shared with your executor or next of kin. While pre-registration is not required for donation to take place, it is strongly encouraged to ensure that all program requirements and expectations are clearly understood by potential donors and their families.
  4. Keep Current: It is important to keep your contact information up to date so we can reach you if questions arise. We also ask that your executor or next of kin maintain current contact information following your passing, so we can provide timely communication regarding cremation and memorial services.
FAQs

Exclusion Criteria

Similarly to organ donation, the eligibility of potential donors is determined at the time of death. To determine and confirm eligibility, a brief questionnaire will be administered when notification of death is provided. The presence of any of the following criteria would prevent the program from accepting a potential donation.

  • Contagious neurological diseases (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
  • Contagious diseases (i.e. Hepatitis, Bacterial Meningitis, A.I.D.S. / H.I.V., Tuberculosis, Gangrene, C. difficile, COVID-19)
  • Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Infections (MRSA, VRE)
  • Sepsis immediately preceding death
  • Metastatic cancers
  • Major joint or limb deformities (i.e. severe Kyphosis, severe osteoarthritis)
  • Death involving major trauma or recent major surgery

The boundaries of the University of Calgary's service area for accepting donations are: North to Red Deer (including Red Deer proper), South to U.S.A. border, East to Saskatchewan border and West to B.C. border.

If a death occurs outside our service area please be aware that we will not be able to accept the donation.

We reserve the right to amend our service area under certain circumstances on a case by case basis. 

While you may register in both programs (Alberta Organ & Tissue Donation Program, and University of Calgary Body Donation Program); actual donation may only be made to one program. We advise prospective donors to counsel their executers to donate to Organ & Tissue first and if criteria is not met there, then call our program at the University of Calgary to see if our criteria can be met.

Please contact the Southern Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Program at saotdp@albertahealthservices.ca or 403-944-8700 

  • Any manner of death aside from Natural (with the exception of MAID) 
  • State of decomposition, based on delay between death and program notification. Ideally the program will be notified within 24 hours after death, and the donation will be received within 72 hours.
  • Extreme emaciation with a BMI of 17 or less
  • Size relative to one's height or weight exceeding a BMI of 27
  • Donors taller than 6’3”
  • Weight greater than 200lbs 
  • Embalming performed prior to donation being received by the program
  • Completion of an autopsy
  • If acceptance would exceed UCalgary storage capacity in the program