If youre feeling generous, you have more options than to open your wallet or build agiftable DIY project.
You have plenty of homegrown body parts you might donate to people in need.
For example, men who have sex with men stillcannot donate blood for 12 months.
The Red Cross liststheir eligibility criteria here.
Once youve donated your pint of blood, youll have a cookie and be on your way.
it’s possible for you to donate again in six weeks.
you’ve got the option to also donate other blood products, like platelets and plasma.
Blood bankswont pay you for blood, but thereareplaces that will pay you for plasma.
They filter proteins from your plasma to make intomedical treatments for conditions like hemophilia and immune disorders.
it’s possible for you to donate plasma every 28 days.
They cant just use any bone marrow, either: the donorstissue typehas to match the recipients.
Thats whyregistries are so importantmaybeyouare someones match.
Who can donate?Guidelines for who can donate bone marroware similar to those for donating blood.
In addition, you have to be a good tissue match for the person who needs bone marrow.
How to donate:Sign up for theNational Marrow Donor Program.
As part of the registration process, you will swab your cheek and send the swab for testing.
This is how they know what tissue throw in you are.
There are two ways you might be asked to donate.
The older method is a surgery where you get a giant needle in your hip.
Its great for medical TV, but not very common anymore.
When you donate, a machine will spend several hours filtering those cells out of your blood.
In the meantime you canwatch movies and chat with friends.
Find otherorganizations for children with hair loss here, or ask your local salon.
Who can donate?Each organization has their own requirements.
How to donate:Check your specific charitys requirements before you have your hair cut.
Some salons partner with a charity and will send your hair to them.
They may be sick from whatever condition led to the premature birth, for example.
Formula puts these babies atgreater risk of deadly infections, sodonated, pasteurized milk is the next best thing.
Who can donate?People who are producing milk, of course.
Some milk banks require that you gave birth less than a year ago.
you’re free to read theHuman Milk Banking Association of North Americas guidelines here.
How to donate:First, get in touch with yournearest milk bank.
Some may require that you live within a certain radius.
Next, they will interview you and request a blood test.
You may also need to submit doctors notes from both your own doctor and your childs.
You may also have to commit to donating a certain amount of milk, usually 100 ounces or more.
To donate, you just pump and freeze the milk according to the milk banks instructions.
Some alsoset minimum requirements for height and ask that you have a college degree.
How to donate:Start the process by talking to yourlocal sperm bank.
The actual donation happens via masturbation at the sperm bank.
Sperm donation pays pretty well:up to $50 per donation, according toSperm Bank Directory.
Each bank will set its own rates, of course.
Begin by filling outthis questionnairefrom the National Marrow Donor program to find out if you are eligible.
(They match people for cord blood donations as well as bone marrow.)
Dont confuse cord blood donation with cord blood banking.
Corneal transplants can help to restore sight to people with certain eye conditions.
So…a lot of people.
Who can donate?In most cases, the rule is pretty strict: you have to be dead.
double-check to let your family know your intentions.
There is an exception to the rule about being dead, however.
If you still want to go ahead, the first step is tocontact a local transplant center.
If youd like to go whole hog and donate your entire body, thats possible too.
Medical schools use bodies to teach anatomy, and scientists can use donated body parts for medical research.
For example, the Mayo Clinicsdonation information is here.
Deciding to donate your body, or any part of it, is a big decision.
Since donations can benefit people in needor medical research, which can benefit others in the futureits worth considering.
Illustration by Angelica Alzona.
