Passing away overseas

[cove]

One of our social friends passed away at his holiday home in Indonesia and his body has been repatriated to Perth for his funeral.
My thinking about this is that if that were to happen to me or my wife we would want to be cremated overseas after using any viable organs for donation.
i just cannot see the point of flying a body home.
My thoughts are with his family and friends and I am glad we did a special long lunch in the Swan Valley recently because we could.
RIP

 

[love_the_life]

My cousin died suddenly in Thailand a few years ago and I remember that his body was brought back to be buried near his mother and father in the local cemetery.

 

[JohnK]

My wife went to a funeral last week in Thailand and they cremated the body.

I said to her "Do not cremate my body when I die or I will come back and haunt you".

I would like to be buried. Preferably next to mum and dad.

 

[Pushka]

One of our social friends passed away at his holiday home in Indonesia and his body has been repatriated to Perth for his funeral.
My thinking about this is that if that were to happen to me or my wife we would want to be cremated overseas after using any viable organs for donation.
i just cannot see the point of flying a body home.
My thoughts are with his family and friends and I am glad we did a special long lunch in the Swan Valley recently because we could.
RIP

Our sons young friend died from an accident overseas just a few months ago. He was with friends and fell off a cliff and so away from family (parents and young siblings). In situations where there is a very sudden death, and for such a young person (30 years old), I think that the family needs are the priority, to allow them to grieve and for me, this would mean having their body shipped home. Which is what happened in our sons friends case. It was during Covid times obviously and limiting the number of attendees able to come (his school friemds all wanted to be there) was an additional stress.

If I was simply given an urn in such situations I could not accept what had happened so sudden and unexpectedly. I know that viewing the deceased is a very personal matter but I found, as I viewed my mum, with my niece, she was much more at peace after death than she was just before it.

Whether then cremated or not afterwards is a another issue.

 

[Daver6]

Sorry for your loss @cove Sending man hugs your way.

 

[RooFlyer]

My thinking about this is that if that were to happen to me or my wife we would want to be cremated overseas after using any viable organs for donation.

Without wishing to get too maudlin, would organ donation overseas be possible (if that's what you meant)? Would overseas jurisdictions recognise an Australian organ donor card, I wonder?

A quick google found nothing, and the national body's web site is also silent on the topic. Home

 

[DC3]

My wife went to a funeral last week in Thailand and they cremated the body.

I said to her "Do not cremate my body when I die or I will come back and haunt you".

 

[VPS]

Sorry for your loss @cove

An interesting question because I want to have my organs donated but whether that could happen in another country or not I don't know. I want to be cremated and it may as well happen wherever I am.

I'm going to to update my list of things that is in my information folder for whoever has to sort it out that there is no need to bring my body home

 

[Denali]

A friend of ours recently had her parents fly in from the UK for a visit - almost 3yrs since they saw each other. 2nd week of visit they all got Covid and 3rd week of visit he fell down stairs and died soon after. Terrible news and I couldnt make that poop up. They had him cremated and mum seems to be enjoying spending time with my friend and family and will be taking the ashes home with her in a couple of weeks. Very sad for all but Im glad friend's mum didnt have to deal with this on her own.

 

[love_the_life]

A friend of ours recently had her parents fly in from the UK for a visit - almost 3yrs since they saw each other. 2nd week of visit they all got Covid and 3rd week of visit he fell down stairs and died soon after. Terrible news and I couldnt make that poop up. They had him cremated and mum seems to be enjoying spending time with my friend and family and will be taking the ashes home with her in a couple of weeks. Very sad for all but Im glad friend's mum didnt have to deal with this on her own.

I think it was quite lucky that they were here with family and so could have a proper funeral here and then take the ashes home to the UK.

 

[cove]

So our checklist we have organised for our family members runs like this:

Enduring Power of Attorney
Enduring Power of Guardianship
Advance Health Directive
Will
We used our lawyer to do these documents

 

[nancypants]

Without wishing to get too maudlin, would organ donation overseas be possible (if that's what you meant)? Would overseas jurisdictions recognise an Australian organ donor card, I wonder?

A quick google found nothing, and the national body's web site is also silent on the topic. Home

I would also be interested in the answer to this

My suspicion based on experience in ICUs in the UK and Australia is that donor registration is only part of it- we used to ask if family would like to donate regardless of whether the person had registered or not (indeed in the UK my understanding is family could overrule a person’s prior decision to donate). So wonder if family could authorise for overseas deaths?

 

[cove]

Yes organ donation is what I meant @RooFlyer. No point wasting any viable bits when your life has ended.
I have been reminded about this by a friend getting a heart transplant at 68 following a major heart attack.

 

[serfty]

So our checklist we have organised for our family members runs like this:

Enduring Power of Attorney
Enduring Power of Guardianship
Advance Health Directive
Will
We used our lawyer to do these documents

It is amazing how many fail to do any or all of these in regard to their own life.

In a recent experience, over a somewhat painful few years SWMBO ended up executing all but the "advance" - but for that when it came (finally) to the crunch it wasn't necessary.

 

[drron]

Yes organ donation is what I meant @RooFlyer. No point wasting any viable bits when your life has ended.
I have been reminded about this by a friend getting a heart transplant at 68 following a major heart attack.

Unfortunately as we age our viable and usable bits decrease rapidly.

 

[Quickstatus]

I know that viewing the deceased is a very personal matter

Agree, for many it is the catalyst for "closure"

organ donation overseas be possible

Possible, but limited donation possible if found deceased
Body needs to be live for organ donation to proceed.
Accidental deaths are often referred to the coroner. Bt the time the coroner completes investigations, it may not be possible to donate organs.

we used to ask if family

In Australia
Despite organ donor card, the family can override the deceased wishes to be an organ donor
The opposite is not true, the family cannot override the deceased wishes not to be an organ donor.

 

[DC3]

Body needs to be live for organ donation to proceed ...

 

[serfty]

Unfortunately as we age our viable and usable bits decrease rapidly.

But some could be mounted as prime examples.

I carry a donor card in my wallet and have discussed with family.

 

[Quickstatus]

viable and usable bits decrease rapidly

They may not want to know about what left thats viable. Its the FF account!!

So make sure there is a will, and someone you trust knows your FF accounts
Multifactor authentication makes it more difficult to transfer points after death.

 

[DC3]

Yes organ donation is what I meant

Yes. That's what I understood.