Our deepest condolences on our sad loss.
Thank you for completing this “Urgent” form. This form will permit us to begin investigating if brain donation might work. While brains must be recovered within 24 hours of death to be used for scientific research for a cure, we can often coordinate the process within only a few hours, depending on the time of day and the intended donor’s location.
Brain Support Network’s next, immediate steps are to:
- Contact the funeral home or cremation organization you’ve listed on the form to learn if they are cooperative with brain donation on-site. (If you have asked us for a cooperative funeral home or cremation organization, the chances are high we can do that if you live in a major city. If you don’t live in a major city, we encourage you to ask hospice or the care facility, if any, for recommendations. See information on the cooperation we need from a funeral home.)
- Identify a pathology specialist in the area.
We will get back to you via email, phone, or text as soon as possible. If between the hours of 6am and 8pm PT (daily), we usually text you right away to let you know we’ve received this form. And we usually get back to you within an hour or two as to whether the brain donation is possible.
We are sorry for the stress you are under. While waiting to hear back from us, please do the following:
- Ice the brain, according to this protocol. You can do this or request assistance from hospice. If your family member resided at a care facility, certainly the care staff can take responsibility for this.
- If your funeral home or cremation organization is cooperative with brain donation on-site (seven days a week), please get the donor to refrigeration as soon as possible. Many funeral homes and cremation organizations have refrigeration. Otherwise, keep bags of ice in place.
If you wish to follow up, contact us.
You can also call or text us at +1 650 814-0848. We are generally available seven days a week, 6am to 8pm PT.