Collin County Living Well Magazine July/August 2017 | Page 29

Anatomical Gifts and the
Impact on Funeral Tributes
W
e have all heard the
saying, “It’s better
to give than to re-
ceive.” Giving with
a generous heart of-
ten warms the soul of the grantor far
beyond the recipient. I cannot begin to
imagine how difficult the thought pro-
cess is for family members who have
lost a loved one, and within minutes,
are asked to make a quick decision
on organ/tissue donation. “Giving the
gift of life” sounds like an easy deci-
sion until it involves one of your own. I
have not been in the situation of decid-
ing on donation, but my brother was
the recipient of a transplanted lung
and I can speak firsthand of the joy
felt by a family whose loved one gets
that second chance at life. Although
we were so happy his long wait was
over, our hearts ached for the family
who had lost someone close to them.
Their sadness was just beginning and
it is important to realize they need a
great deal of care and attention.
In no way would I try to encourage
someone to be a donor, nor would I
discourage someone who is consider-
ing it. It is very important to realize,
however, what is being agreed upon
and how those decisions will impact
other wishes you may have. Typically,
donating corneas and certain tissue
will have minimal impact, if any, on
the ability to have viewing of a per-
son’s body. Larger organ donation,
such as heart, lungs and kidneys also
do little to impact one’s ability to view
the body, although this does create a
more difficult embalming process. You
may encounter extra cost related to
such from the funeral home
Occasionally, a person chooses to do-
nate their whole body to a school or
research facility. While the receiving
institution will file the required paper-
work with the state on behalf of the
family, they do nothing to help a fam-
ily create a meaningful and appropri-
ate tribute, nor do they help a family
find ways to say “good-bye.” This is
where family members can get stuck
in the middle. There are numerous de-
tails that must be addressed, decisions
made, and items tended to of which
a funeral director is uniquely qualified
to help. Families have come to realize
this, oftentimes in the 11 th hour, when
they want register books, service fold-
ers, a flag, an honor guard, flowers,
and a reception following their me-
morial service at their church. Unfor-
tunately, no plan to accomplish these
things is thought of until the day before
the service.
Funeral directors bring “life” to events
that are necessary as a result of a
death. While this may sound strange,
funeral directors have the knowledge
and experience to not only help a fam-
ily arrange for things they want, but
also suggest things a family might nev-
er think of doing that will add much to
a memorial service. Funeral directors
arrange for, carry out, and coordinate
a number of details the general pub-
lic never knows about. These behind-
the-scene duties mostly go unnoticed
because things are present where ex-
pected, previously arranged to be car-
ried out, and available when needed.
On the other hand, a memorial service
without proper attention to detail will
be lacking organization, direction,
and a unique and personal tone.
By Rick Allen
ple demand are constantly changing.
The successful funeral home of today
listens to the needs of the consumer.
The truly exceptional funeral homes of
today anticipate those needs ahead of
the consumer and have choices and
solutions readily available to help fam-
ilies in a variety of different situations.
When you talk about your final wishes,
if those plans include donation, involve
a funeral director in those discussions.
If your funeral director does not in-
clude service offerings for families who
choose donation, find one who does.
“Giving the gift of
life” sounds like an
easy decision until
it involves one of
your own. Involve
a funeral director
in your discussions
and decision to
be a donor.”
Funeral homes today must prepare for
changing needs from our client fami-
lies. The traditional, cookie-cutter funer-
al does not meet the needs of the ma-
jority of the people any longer. While
religious rites may change slightly, if at
all, numerous other aspects surround-
ing death and the many options peo-
Rick Allen is the owner of Allen Family Funeral Options. Visit their informative
website at affoplano.com or give them a call at 972-596-8200.
COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2017
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