Tributes made to those who gave ‘their most treasured possession’ to science

Linda Geller easily laughs through her tears when remembering her husband, Irv, who lost his battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease 19 months ago.

He was a man who loved sports and race horses – but mostly, he loved people. When he died, Irv was still as close to the boys he first met back in Grade 3 as his university and football buddies. “He just collected people,” Geller recalled.

The Gellers were married for 32 years: It was his third marriage, her second. Over his lifetime, he alternately worked in sales, as a private investigator, actor, dance instructor and substitute teacher. As clever as he was at crossword puzzles, ordinary things perplexed him – like the location of his new car's gas tank which forced him to race back to the dealership for a quick lesson.

Many years ago, the Waterdown couple read a newspaper account of a man who decided to donate his body after his death to a university for purposes of anatomical study and medical research. The story went on to say that in order to obtain detailed and essential knowledge of the structure and function of the human body, future doctors, rehabilitation therapists and scientists need to study human remains as part of their training.

This thought of a special gift to future health-care professionals struck a chord with the Gellers. When Irv died, his body was donated to McMaster University's Education Program in Anatomy.

“I never felt any guilt. He was a great husband. I was a great wife,” Geller said. “We know people who have gone into $10,000 debt for funerals because they feel guilty. We thought it would be much nicer to spend $10,000 on traveling together.”

Bruce Wainman, director of the Anatomy Education Program, said there is an increasing need for bodies to be bequeathed because of the expansion of McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. The school has doubled enrolment during the past decade, and added two new regional campuses in Niagara and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Last year, 28 bodies were accepted by McMaster's program for the purposes of anatomical study and medical research.

In one year, 1,200 students – medical, nursing engineering, rehabilitation and fine arts students – acquire a deeper understanding of the body through the anatomy program, as do other professionals in the broader community, such as paramedics and massage therapists.

“Students often think of the donated body as their first patient,” said Wainman, “always maintaining the individual's dignity and confidentiality. It is often one of a student's first chances to deal with the finality and reality of death. It hits them because it's not like a textbook.”

Wainman said a person's whole life is written out on their body: fractures, surgeries, stiffened arteries from hypertension or metastasized cancer from tumours. “When you're handling the leg of someone who suffered from polio, you can't help thinking that that would have been a tough life.”

Each year the faculty and staff in the Education Program in Anatomy invite families to a Service of Gratitude to express their appreciation for the generosity of those who died. This year the service was held April 28.

Several students gave personal accounts on how the thoughtfulness of donors has provided them with new knowledge which may one day save someone's life.

Nicole Kraus, a Bachelor of Health Sciences student, told the families that texts and notebooks only go so far in teaching about the wonders of the human body. “Your loved ones are the greatest teachers we will ever know.”

“With their greatest gift, they have taught so many students so much,” said Melissa Decloe, a first year student of the physician assistant program. “We are indebted to you for what they have committed to our educations.”

“It was beautiful to hear the students talk,” said Geller about the memorial service during which a musician played the flute and she listened to Irv's favourite hymn, Amazing Grace. “The atmosphere was so beautiful.”

To find out about becoming a donor call 905-525-9140 ext. 22273, e-mail anatomy@mcmaster.ca or write McMaster University, Education Program in Anatomy, 1200 Main Street West, HSC 1R1, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5.

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