Revocation of a Gift

A donor may amend or revoke an anatomical gift at any time. However, the California Uniform Anatomical Gift Act requires that the revocation be made in one of the following ways:

• A signed statement
• An oral statement in the presence of two individuals or
• Any communication in any form during a terminal illness or injury addressed to a physician or surgeon
• A signed statement delivered to the UC Irvine Willed Body Program

Once the donor’s application is accepted by the Willed Body Program, only the donor can withdraw it from the program. This ensures that the donor’s wishes are upheld, even after their death. An anatomical gift that is not revoked by the donor prior to death is irrevocable and does not require the consent or concurrence of any person after the donor’s death.

If the donation was made by a duly authorized member of a class as set forth by health and safety codes, rescission can be made by any relative of the same degree of kinship before the university has received the donation.

The university is not able to provide certified copies of the death certificate. A certified copy of the death certificate can be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Vital Statistics or the office of Birth and Death registration in the county in which the death occurred. A list of local county health offices is available at the Willed Body Program offices.