Talking about organ donation usually brings to mind donating your heart, kidneys, and other commonly discussed organs, but did you realize that by donating your brain, you could help advance research in many diseases, including Parkinson’s disease?
The Parkinson’s Disease Society has put out an appeal for people to donate their brains after death for research purposes. Although all brains are helpful, younger people with Parkinson’s are particularly encouraged to donate, so researchers may learn more about how the disease may come on early, as it did with actor Michael J. Fox.
The United Kingdom isn’t the only place that can use an increase in organ donations for research; other countries have the same problem of not having enough material with which to work.
Unfortunately, it’s often difficult enough to convince people to donate organs to help others live, it seems to be even more difficult to convince them to donate for research.
While it may seem odd to publish such an appeal, the Society said that it issued a similar one in early 2009 and they succeeded in gaining more than double the number of donors on the Parkinson’s Brain Donor Register.
What do you think? Would you consider such a donation once you no longer need your brain?
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Image: Newscom.com
Post from: Blisstree