Do I have a say in the type of research for which my donation is being used?

No. We can not guarantee that your body will be used for the research you want. Your body can be used for various medical or scientific research projects at different institutes and organizations. For which projects your body donation is used depends on the nature, needs and requirements of the studies that are being carried out at that moment. If your relatives so wish, they can receive a general indication of the studies to which you have contributed with your body donation.

I am an organ donor. Can I also donate my body?

Yes, you can be registered as organ donor and body donor. Organ and tissue donation has the most direct impact: it can save someone else's life. As a registered organ donor, if you qualify for transplant at the time of death, saving lives takes priority over whole body donation. If one or more of your organs or tissues are used for transplant, RISE Labs will determine whether we can still accept your body donation. Acceptance after transplant depends, among other things, on what actions the organ donor center has had to perform. Body donation is therefore not possible in all cases.

Can my next of kin revoke my decision?

No, a body donation agreement can not in principle be revoked by the next of kin. It is important that you discuss your intentions with your partner, family and friends. You can explain why you opt for body donation and why you think it is important. You can also prepare them for what will come after you have died so that they will not face any surprises. RISE Labs B.V. can support you in conducting these conversations.

Can I revoke my decision myself?

Yes, you can always revoke the agreement you made with RISE Labs. New circumstances may arise that make you reconsider your decision, and there is plenty of room for that. Incidentally, we count it our duty to understand your motivation and insure you are comfortable with your decision. If you are unsure of your case, we can not accept you as a body donor.

I am not healthy. Can I donate my body?

In principle, we accept anyone who wants to donate his or her body to science after death. We make no demands regarding age, living area or lifestyle. However, certain situations are conceivable where we can not or may not accept your body donation. For example if you are suffering from an infectious disease (such as hepatitis B or C or HIV) or if you have had a treatment with implanted radioactive material in the past two years. This is to protect the safety of employees and scientists. Part of the registration procedure is an extensive examination of your medical file. Before we make the agreement, we will inform you of the findings.

Why should I donate to RISE Labs instead of a university?

Many people in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK want to make their bodies available to science after their death. The need of universities is very limited. They often take limited or no donations at all. On the other hand, there is a great need for science (from outside the universities). RISE Labs Body Donation was established to bring together wish and need. We want more people who want to donate their bodies and make a contribution to meet the needs of scientific research. Universities do not return the cremated remains, or only after one or two years. RISE Labs returns the cremated partial remains after two to three months.

What kind of organization is RISE Labs?

RISE Labs is a private organization (B.V.), registered in the Netherlands. We are an organization focused on facilitating and supporting medical-scientific research, development and training. We are established to enable and support progress in medical science. That progress is inconceivable without body donations. RISE Labs Body Donation is the professional party that connects those with the desire to contribute to science with the need from the world of medical research, so that future generations benefit from new techniques and treatments. There are very few organizations like us in the Netherlands and Europe. Whole body donation mainly occurs in the US. This means that European researchers and doctors who need to be trained in a new procedure often have to fly to the US - with high costs as a result. The financial resources involved can not be spent on research and development. One of the goals of RISE Labs is to enable more research, development and training in Europe.

Does RISE Labs work with Euthanasia in the Netherlands?

RISE Labs accepts donors from legal euthanasia in the Netherlands. We will work with the next of kin to determine the best time to retrieve the donor. We can arrange the details ahead of time, so family has the time to say goodbye and does not feel rushed or stressed over final details.

We currently accept donations from the Netherlands and Belgium. We plan to start accepting donors from the UK in early to mid 2022.