February 2004

Second Life Program Helps Needy Overseas Heart Patients Receive Pacemakers

It has been over forty years since the first pacemaker was used to help a heart patient in Sweden , Arne Larsson. More than two million people, including about a million Americans, from newborns to centenarians, now use pacemakers. For many, like Mr. Larsson, they have been lifesavers.

Unfortunately because of their cost, which can range from $5000-30,000, patients in some developing countries cannot benefit from this remarkable life-saving device because they simply cannot afford them.

This is where Second Life comes in. The Second Life Program, in operation for more than 4 years, is a non-profit organization that accepts pacemakers and similar devices from funeral directors who have removed them after death from the loved one's body at the request of the family. Many of these units which are now being discarded could be used to save or improve lives of needy heart patients overseas. (The Food and Drug Administration does not permit the use of recycled pacemakers in the United States .)

If, after testing, the pacemakers are found to have more than 80% of their remaining battery life, they are prepared for donation to needy heart patients through medical clinics and cardiologists in developing countries. Pacemakers can now last from six to ten years, depending on use. Rather than being buried with the body or removed and discarded (which is required before cremation), these recycled pacemakers can give new life to heart patients.

The Second Life Program is a 501c(3) charity. Due to its charity status, next of kin who donate a pacemaker may be eligible for a tax deduction for the value of the pacemaker they are donating.

If you or a loved one are enjoying the medical benefits derived from a pacemaker, consider donating it when the time arrives for the funeral. Just let your funeral director know your wishes. And, of course, the perfect time to do this is when you are prearranging a funeral.

For more information about the Second Life Program, contact Bob Green, 24 Jannas Lane, Madison, CT 06443, 203-318-0472 or email rmgreen3@aol.com

(Research information derived from the New York Times, Second Life and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association.)