Honouring Our Donors: Families Say Thank You

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[...] I cannot praise the staff at the body donation department enough for their kindness, sympathy, and reassurance during the process. Even at the moment when we were advised that not all donations were suitable, and the reasons why were explained, it must have been difficult for the staff member to impart this knowledge" I must admit I cried tears of joy when I heard that his donation had been accepted and that I was able to let my mother know that his wishes were to come true. 

The memorial service in April for the "silent teachers" (as it is described) was of great comfort to the whole family. It was especially comforting for my father's brother; who is older and felt strange not having any closure regarding his brother. My mother was unable to attend, but we were able to relay the details of the service to her and let her read the poems written by previous anatomy lecturers. The tributes of thanks to the silent teachers were moving and showed the continued importance of body donation in this new digital age [...].

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As long ago as the sixties my husband knew that he wished to donate his body to the Department of Anatomy at Edinburgh University. At that time, being young, it seemed so far in the future that I, for one, did not give it too much thought. As the years have passed it came more and more to the fore until the moment when it actually came to pass. From the very beginning I felt that I was being looked after. All the paperwork was in place and all went very smoothly from ambulance men to doctor to undertaker who attended to everything. I could not have wished for anything more. The memorial service in the McEwan Hall was memorable. It was handled with such dignity. My family and I cannot thank you enough. I now have the privilege of having been accepted by the University myself - one of the best decisions I have ever made. I would encourage anyone who has thought of donating to carry on. It is such a worthy cause.

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[...] Our mum worked for the NHS as a care worker for the majority of her adult life. She firmly believed that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, should have access to medical care. During conversations about her end-of-life wishes, she expressed a strong desire for her life's work to continue meaningfully and to contribute to helping others even after her passing.[...] As she often said to junior doctors, "Real bodies don't look like the pictures in the books."

Our family takes great pride in the decision she made, and we fully supported her wishes. Last year, our family attended the University's Memorial Service. It was a thoughtful and respectful event that honored all those who had made similar donations. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to speak with the staff and students, and to learn about how our mother's gift had contributed to their studies and future careers.

We remain grateful for the care, professionalism, and dignity shown throughout the entire process. It brings us comfort to know that her decision continues to make a positive impact [...]

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[...] we feel the donation process is for the donor to decide and reflect on. We hope our father was comforted by the knowledge he was donating his body to medical science. Teaching was such a major part of his life. The fact we were able to fulfil his wishes in this respect-certainly brought comfort to us his family. [...]

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[...] I can think of no better place for my husband to be at this moment, than in the Medical School at Teviot Place. (Apart from anything else, it is a magnificent building, very calming, and you can sense that you are part of a long history.)
A few days after he died, I arrived at the University, nervous and upset, expecting to sign whatever papers, and then leave quickly, prepared for a little cry afterwards. What I didn't expect was the time and care and attention 1 was afforded by the bequest co-ordinator, Laura Shiels.
[...] I was surprised also, to learn a little about how the department worked, to be invited to view the lecture theatre, and to learn that the students were encouraged to behave with utmost respect around these "silent teachers". [...] My husband was a brilliant man in every sense of that word, always interested in young people, always positive, always encouraging to others. I know, for sure, that he would be very content to know that he was helping to educate the doctors, scientists, and professionals of the future. I know he would wish them well, and tell them to make the most of every day grasping, with both hands, any opportunities that came their way.
It gives me a great sense of peace and satisfaction to know that, even after his death, he continues to offer hope for a better future. He made it easy for me to sign my bequest too, which I have done, willingly [...]

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Dear Mrs Sheils, My wife was a nurse, trained in the Borders and promoted to sister before out marriage. She had always expressed the wish for her body to be donated preferrably to Edinburgh. On her death, Borders General Hospital contacted Edinburgh Medical School and after a short time, I learned that her wishes had been granted. My memory of contact with the above were extremely reassuring. At no time was I made to feel like just another number. Mrs Sheils talked me through the procedures with patience and compassion. I was encouraged to contact her office with any queries, which I did. I was left with the feeling that Edinburgh Medical School were honoured that my wife had donated her body to them. Such is my regard for them that I carry a donor card in my wallet.

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[...] Out of the blue our close friend of 30 years asked me to be the executor to his will and to witness the bequest of his body to the School of Biomedical Sciences in Edinburgh. [...] Throughout his illness he was adamant that he still wanted to donate his body and that he did not want a traditional funeral or cremation, and no public announcement of his death. I was more than willing to try my best to fulfil his longstanding request.

[...] Of course the emotional and psychological impact of someone close to you dying is very difficult but the carrying out of their wishes is also a very important element in coping with bereavement.

Although very different from what we may see as the traditional way of publically/ceremonially dealing with death, donating your body to science is a hugely worthwhile act. From a friend's point of view, ensuring that our friend's bequest was fulfilled was important to us [...]

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[...] My Aunt had requested in her will that her body should be donated to medical science. As her executor it was for me to fulfil her wishes. I had no experience of where to start. With a single call to The Edinburgh Medical School I was immediately assisted through the process. My Aunt's body had initially ban taken to a funeral Director. The medical school contacted the funeral director and arranged for immediate transfer in a very timely and efficient manner keeping me advised at all times. I have found all my dealings with the representatives of The Edinburgh Medical School to have been friendly, helpful and sympathetic. My Aunt was an altruistic character and would have been delighted that her body could assist medical students in their education [...]

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Our Dad talked about donating his body to medical science from a young age and as teenagers we remember him talling about this with us. Dad was always about science and logic and had a wonderful way of explaining and teaching us on many subjects. He loved to help others and for him to be able to contribute to medical science at the end of his life would make him happy [...]

Some may think this process is cold, even scary. but it was anything but. The compassion we received, and the gratitude expressed by the University Anatomy Dept was heart-warming. The little touches to show their gratitude and help the families; a small certificate § thank you sent a remembrance book where they add all the names of those who donated held in a special display case within the anatomy school, a service held in Greyfriars Kirk for the families of all who donated. All these things helped us in the first few weeks knowing our dad had done something pretty special [...]

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My dad left his body for medical research. When he passed everything was dealt with very professional. Laura phoned and made arrangements for me to meet her. When I meet her I felt so at ease and she explained the whole process what happens then and after. She also gave me a tour where the students do their studying. I would highly recommend if your loves ones would like to donate their body you will not regret it. Laura is an amazing person.

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When [...] first told me she wanted to donate her body to medical science I was quite surprised and frankly I wasn't keen on the idea. 

[...] had had an operation for bowel cancer and after chemotherapy she was told she was clear. However three years later it was back and this time there was no surgical option. She declined invasive chemo which would have had lots of unpleasant side effects and was given months. However she was a real fighter and lived for three years during which we lived a "normal" life with several great holidays. It was during this period that she made her decision. As we discussed it it was clear that she felt her body could help the students and in fact speaking to a student during one of her regular checkups the student said that working on an actual body rather than just relying on illustrations in a text book was so much better. I did of course support her decision. After she died I was given an opportunity to rescind her decision but of course I didn't as I knew how important this was to her that her body would be used for such a good purpose.

I still miss her so much but I am so proud of her. She was so brave and caring. If your loved ones make the same decision please support them no matter how you feel about it.

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[...] While I knew my wife had signed up for body donation it seemed something that was far away. After her diagnosis is was suddenly there in our faces, reality. It took a while to get my head around it but I kept on coming back to it being her wishes at the end of the day, that the donation would do some good and that's what I held onto. The team at the university were superb after her death, supportive, empathic, understanding and to me an anchor in all that was happening. I went with family and friends to the memorial service which was really hard but one of the speakers mentioned how all those who had donated were "silent teachers". It resonated with me and it processed into signing up myself for donations. In some way I think it will bring us back together again.