Who is the next-of-kin?
Next-of-kin is, in this order, spouse, adult son or daughter, either parent, adult brother or sister, or guardian at time of death. Although guardians play an important role in medical and other legal processes, family members, in the order listed above, will have the legal right to give permission for tissue recovery of the deceased. For example, if a person with autism is 30, the sister is legal guardian and one parent is still alive, the parent would be considered the next-of-kin and responsible for the consent for brain donation, which can be given at the time of the call to the Autism Tissue Program.
