Around a thousand people are currently on the list as donors for Queen's University's Body Donation Programme
Most people will be aware that you can opt to have your organs donated following your death, but did you know you could donate your entire body to be used for educational purposes when your time is at an end?
Around a thousand people are currently on the list as donors for Queen's University's Body Donation Programme, which reopened last month after it had been paused due to Covid and staff shortages in 2023.
The university is also combing through a further 250 expressions of interest to see if they will be suitable for the scheme.
The bodies of those who sign up are used by undergraduate medical students from the university in the event of their death, to allow them to study anatomy through dissection of a real human body.
One woman in her 90s from Co Down told The Irish News of her delight that the programme has reopened, having first signed up more than three decades ago.
Virginia Hardy (95) from Strangford says her reasons for first signing up were both altruistic and practical.
"I first signed up at least 30 years ago now," Ms Hardy says.
"At the time, I remember I told my GP about it and I vividly remember his response and how grateful he was after learning I had signed up.
"He thanked me and told me about how much of a difference it makes to young doctors to be able to learn with a real body.
"What's the point of just being in a coffin? Young would-be doctors will learn more and you can still be useful after you die.
"I like to be kind and I suppose a bit generous, so I thought it would be nice to be useful for future generations to come."
Ms Hardy added she was delighted to hear that the scheme had reopened earlier this month.
"I was disappointed when it closed," she says.
"As well as helping student doctors, there was also a practicality for me because I don't have my own family here to look after me when I die.
"My grandniece will be taking care of my affairs and it was actually a relief to my wider family to hear of my plans."
Professor Alan Smyth is a paediatrician and dean of the university's School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, and leads the body donation scheme.
"One of the ways we teach anatomy is through dissection and to enable dissection we are dependent on donors who in life make a decision that when they die they want their body to be used to help teach the next generation of health workers," Professor Smyth says.
"We're hugely grateful to our community of donors who have made that decision. Our students are hugely grateful as well.
"It does in a sense create a bit of a bond between us and the community that we serve.
"The scheme was paused for several years, initially during Covid and then subsequently. We've done a lot of work to employ new members of staff to make sure we have an adequate group of technicians who can run the programme."
While the programme was paused, Professor Smyth says students used new technology in attempt to replicate the human body, but that there is "no substitute" for the real thing.
"You can see those structures and how that blood vessel connects to that organ.
"Students choose Queen's in some cases because we do dissection, particularly international students.
"Commonly when students come to us for interview they will give dissection as one of the reasons why they want to come here."
On why people typically come forward to offer their body up to the programme, the senior doctor says it comes down to wanting to provide assistance after they are gone.
"I think it probably is altruism - they think their body is no use to them when they're gone but it could be of use to someone else.
"It's driven by a passion and concern to help others, and we are pleased that we are able to fulfil that really important wish that they have.
"We're grateful to the patients that help us in life, patients every day are seeing medical students and that is a bond that links us to our community.
"We have already accepted our first donor and that's been fantastic. We have students arriving in the next week so it's fantastic for them to know that the opportunities will be even richer than before."