Body Donor Memorial Service honors donors’ contributions to medical education

Students, faculty and loved ones of individuals who donated their bodies to medical education through the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Body Donor Program gathered Friday, Sept. 18, to honor the donors.  

“Thank you to the individuals who chose, with profound generosity, to become our first teachers in medicine,” said Danielle Wills, a second-year medical student from Heritage College, Cleveland, in her opening remarks. “They chose to let that body become a vessel of learning, so that future physicians could one day care for others with skill, humility and compassion.” 

The Heritage College’s Body Donor Memorial Service allowed other students, faculty and family members to express their appreciation for the donors as well. 

“I will always remember a donor's sister telling me that not only did she understand her brother's decision, but she was proud to see that even past his final moments, her brother kept on being the generous man he always was," Mahaut Vernon, second-year medical student on the Athens campus, told attendees.

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Donor families and loved ones in attendance had an opportunity to honor and reminisce about their family members. Many simply wanted everyone to hear the name of their loved one. Several families told of multiple generations of donors, and it became clear that donors come from all walks of life: educators, health professionals, Ohio University alumni – even a coal miner’s daughter. 

A common theme among the families of the donors was appreciation for the Heritage College’s professionalism and compassion during the process of body donation, which happens right after death, during a time of heightened mourning.  

Jen Poklar, who spoke about her mother and the family’s experience with the Body Donor Program. “I want to give some recognition to the folks here at OU,” she said, recalling, “There was a lot of pretty hard talking to students, ‘Before you go into this room, remember these are people. They’re somebody’s loved one. They’re somebody’s child. They’re somebody’s father.’ That just made the decision.”  

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“They haven't just helped a few students pass an exam; they have started a wave of healing that will reach tens of millions of people across the globe,” Allison Sawmiller, a first-year physician assistant student at Ohio University’s Dublin campus, said pointing to the ripple effect of the body donor program. “They have shown us that even in death, one can teach a masterclass in love and service.” 

Heritage College Interim Senior Dean Jennifer Gwilym, D.O. (‘03), has described the body donors as students’ first patients. In her remarks, she linked this aspect of Heritage College medical education to the delivery of medicine throughout Ohio. 

“In that way, the gift made by your loved one can come full circle – helping prepare physicians who may one day care for you, your family and your community," Gwilym said.