Having a sample of your DNA will allow future generations to make more informed decisions concerning their quality of their lives.

 

“Many diseases are now traced back to genetics.  Funeral professionals may offer DNA Memorial to pre-planning and pre-need clients for DNA preservation.   Just as making pre planned funeral arrangement DNA Memorial is a gift for generations that follow.  DNA allows heirs the opportunity to track, diagnose and prevent everything from simple skin disorders to terminal cancer. The more familial DNA that is preserved, the more doctors have to work with in genetic medicine. A family’s genetic legacy is valuable in this era of genetics.”

WHY WOULD I WANT TO STORE MY LOVED ONE’S DNA?

Immortalizing a loved one DNA Banking allows the genetics of your loved ones to live on forever – even after death. Ashes or other keepsakes have no intrinsic value but the DNA will preserve that person’s essence of who they were in life. We prepare the sample to last indefinitely, and return it to you inside a stylish keepsake or a secure vial. Alternatively, you can choose to keep it in our facility.

Inherited Medical Information Genetic decoding is leading to a tsunami of information for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hundreds of diseases. Because DNA sequences are passed on with very little variation from one generation to the next, a DNA test of a 95 year old great-grandmother is of immediate and direct relevance to the health of her six-month-old great-grandson. DNA Banking is an important step towards preserving that history and improving the health of future generations. A family medical history helps document familial patterns which may impact your health, such as trends towards specific types of cancer, early heart disease, or even something simple such as skin conditions. Compiling a family medical history can help doctors spot these family patterns and use the information to assist with the following:

FAQ

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA). The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people. The order, or sequence, of these bases determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences. In such a way everyone’s story is written differently.

The death care sector is the logical place for this service to be offered. No one likes to thinks about a loved one passing away. Therefore in the vast majority of cases no one has even thought about saving their family’s DNA. The funeral or palliative care partners are the last chance to save this invaluable information that someone’s DNA holds. They are very sensitive to family concerns and very tactful in their approach of the subject.

Yes!  Visit our shop www.eternalmemories.org
You can find all DNA Memorial services and products an excellent addition to your own funeral pre-planning process.

The sample is collected by completely non-invasive methods. A sterile cotton swab is rubbed on the inner cheek several times then allowed to air dry. This swab is then sealed and mailed back to our laboratory where we will extract (separate it from rest of the cell components), purify (remove any enzymes or chemicals that may damage it), stabilize it and preserve it to halt the degradation process. Using our proprietary method the DNA is bound very tightly to a substrate reinforcing its structure. The end product resembles a fine white dry powder.

No, we can also extract the DNA from hair or skin collected. With hair, ensure that several body hairs are collected and that these hairs still have the root attached. As another alternative, a light scraping of the skin will result in a sufficient amount of skin cells to extract the DNA. Detailed instructions for all of our collection methods are included in each kit.

Under our storage conditions, the DNA will last indefinitely. Our researched and proprietary methods of halting the degradation process allows for room temperature storage and banking indefinitely. All custom jewelry, crystal art pieces and paintings include the Home Banking sample.

Whenever someone is ready to get some questions answered about what information is enclosed in the DNA, it can be sent away for further analysis. At DNA Memorial, we can help with all the necessary steps. The analysis can be done right away or years later. Having the DNA stored gives anyone the option to get it researched further whenever they are ready for it. Prices for genetic testing as well as the options available continue to improve every year.

In most cases the DNA is returned to the family and that is up to them. If the banking-with-us option is chosen, an account is set up after the sample arrives. We will issue a certificate of analysis, a banking agreement as well as your account number. The persons listed on the agreement will have access to that account. Other people can be added in the future with the signed permission of the original account holders. We will not test, share or even acknowledge the existence of the account to any outside agencies for any reason including law enforcement. We are building our reputation on strictest confidentiality and quality of service.

No you do not have to decide immediately. The sample does have to be taken before cremation or interment but will still be viable for a few months. This allows family members to discuss and educate themselves about the subject. Many service providers will agree to store the sample for 60 days for you to make a decision. After that time has elapsed, we consider the sample questionable and would offer no guarantee that sample will be completely intact. The sample gets destroyed at the sixty day mark if the family has not responded, provided they chose the 60 day holding period when they contacted the service provider. This holding period is provided free of charge.

Yes visit www.eternalmemories.org for our shop.

Thunder Bay was not randomly chosen for this service. It is located 650 feet above sea level on the Canadian Shield which is solid rock. There are no natural disasters such as hurricanes, massive flooding or earthquakes. There is cheap reliable power from multiple sources and a well-built infrastructure. Canada has some of the strictest privacy laws about DNA in the world. There is an adequate supply of skilled workers from the biotechnology program of Lakehead University. The technology cluster located here including the Cancer research facility, University and three other DNA innovation companies allow us to continue collaborative research to improve our company.