Can I overrule my child’s decision to donate their organs?
If someone has agreed to donate their organs, this can be overruled by the family. Only the organs and tissues that the family consents to being taken can be removed from the body. It’s best to talk with your family if you want to donate your organs because of this. For more information, see the Organ Donation New Zealand website.
Can I donate my body to medical science?
To donate your body, you should contact a Medical School before your death and state in your will that this is what you want to happen. By the time the will is read, however, it will usually be too late for a donation to be accepted, so you must make your wish known to family and friends before your death, and tell them to contact the medical school as soon as you pass away.
There are two places in New Zealand that accept bodies, and generally they only accept bodies from certain areas. The Otago School of Medical Science generally accepts bodies only from certain parts of the South Island, while the Auckland School of Medicine generally accepts bodies from the Auckland and Bay of Plenty areas. They may also collect your body if you have a special condition that you’d like studied after your death. Their contact details are
Department of Anatomy
Auckland School of Medicine
Private Bag 92019
Auckland
Phone: 09 373 7599 ext 6703
Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology
Otago School of Medical Science
P O Box 913
Dunedin
Phone: 0800 580500