The University of Washington’s Willed Body Program is a whole-body donation program for donors from Washington State. The gift of your body to the UW School of Medicine is an invaluable contribution to the education of future healthcare providers, enabling them to study and understand the complexity of the human body in a way that is not possible by any other means.
In addition to helping students in the health professions master complex anatomy, your donation will allow medical researchers to develop and maximize important tools to help patients. The University of Washington is one of the foremost medical research institutions in the world, conducting studies that will not only further develop the body of knowledge within the field of medicine, but eventually alleviate human suffering.
We are deeply grateful for your consideration of this extraordinary gift. Donating your body is a significant decision, and we understand there are complex questions that arise when considering it. We have prepared a letter that answers many of the questions potential donors have asked us over the years, and also includes legal and medical reasons that a donation may be declined. In order to fully benefit from the exceptional gift you are providing, it is important that you, your family and the University of Washington have a mutual understanding and agreement about the donor process. This letter is prepared in the spirit of promoting this understanding.