How to Register

Becoming an MS Brain Donor is easy!

1. Request a Brain Donor information and consent kit by:

   - Registering online
   - Calling 1300 672 265
   - Returning the registration form attached to the MSRA Brain Bank Brochure

2. Discuss your decision with your family

   To ensure a smooth brain donation, it is essential that your family is aware and supportive of your decision to become a Brain Donor. After all, they are the ones who will notify the Brain Bank at the time of donation. The MSRA Brain Bank will not proceed with a donation against the wishes of your family at the time of death, regardless of the deceased Donor’s wishes. In some Australian States, consent must be obtained from your next-of-kin at the time of your death before the Donation can occur.

3. Return the signed consent form

   Each state has its own state-specific Brain Donor Consent Form, which requires a co-signature of the senior available next-of-kin. Although such co-signing is not a legal requirement, it ensures that the donor’s decision is made in good consultation with his/her relatives.

   In the absence of any living next-of-kin or relatives, the forms may be co-signed by a close friend or a trusted acquaintance who is designated by the donor to make the funeral arrangements.

   Where a donor is either incapable or incompetent to give their own written informed consent, the next-of-kin or a legal representative may sign an authorisation form.

   After the signed forms have been received by the MSRA Brain Bank, the consented donor receives a letter of acknowledgement and time of death instructions containing the emergency telephone number to call at the time of death. Donors in NSW, ACT, SA, and TAS will receive a Brain Donor Card to carry with them at all times.

4. Notify your GP, carer, and funeral director

   Keep a copy of your Brain Donor information and consent form in a safe place and ensure that your family is clear on what to do in the event of death. It is useful to inform your medical doctor, funeral director, and if applicable, your carer in your retirement village or nursing home, or medical staff of your hospital, that you have consented to be a Brain Donor.

5. Keep in touch

   Consented donors will receive the annual MSRA Brain ‘Bank Statement’ and an information update form/questionnaire. It is important for the MSRA Brain Bank to track the history of disease progression, medications and other illnesses during a donor’s lifetime.

6. Withdrawal of consent
   Registration with the MSRA Brain Bank is not binding. A registrant can withdraw their consent to donate tissue at any time by returning the Withdrawal of Consent form in the Information and Consent Kit. The donor’s next-of-kin can also subsequently withdraw consent at any time after a donation has been made. All tissue samples and clinical records collected up to that point would be disposed of according to the institution’s regulations.