A couple of years ago Dave and I toured the new University of Central Florida College of Medicine. It's magnificent. When we got to the gross anatomy lab I was a little skeptical - but it was magnificent - and a holy experience. The quote above, which is at the entrance to the lab, sets the tone. (I wrote a blog entry at that time called University of Central Florida College of Medicine - dated 4/1/12.)
Shortly after leaving Dave made his arrangements for leaving his body to the school. This has been met with mostly positive, but somewhat mixed response. I don't know anybody else who is doing this.
But this week I read a Washington Post article by Dr. Edward Beal, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
In the article he said that he was shocked when his wife announced that she was going to donate her body to the Georgetown School of Medicine. Dr. Beal goes on to say that he was remembering the old days when pranks were pulled and respect was not paid. When he expressed his concerns to his wife she told him she was going to attend the School of Medicine's annual liturgy and Catholic Mass for families of donors.
He went with her.
Dr. Beal said the room was filled with faculty, and family members who had come to collect the ashes of their loved one. He goes on to say:
...nearly 200 students filed into the classroom; they each carried a lighted candle in honor of their donor body and placed the candles on a stage. There were Jews, Muslims, Protestants, atheists and outright anti-religious students in the procession.
Afterwards Dr. Beal spoke with several students. One talked about her cadaver's heart and how it did not look like anything in a text book. Another student said there was no doubt in her mind that she would donate her body when the time came.
And yet another said that....throughout the entire class, the cadaver's faces had remained covered, out of respect, until the time came to study the face. She spoke almost reverently of how moved she felt the day she and her classmates removed the covering over the face of their cadaver and looked for the first time into the donor's eyes.
Thank you, Dr. Edward Beal for reinforcing our experience at the UCF College of Medicine and for reinforcing Dave's commitment to help the living.
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