In December 2022, a few of the Donor Research Team had the privilege of attending Professor Claire Smith’s inaugural lecture, The Silent Teacher, at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS).
The lecture outlined Professor Smith’s experience of teaching anatomy and how important body donation is to anatomy education. This was highlighted by the number of engaged medical students assisting with various demonstrations.
The lecture was thoroughly engaging and interactive!
We enjoyed comparing whether we had a palmaris longus and found out that it was only present in under 15% of people! We created and ate a diagram of the cerebrovascular system using strawberry laces. We got into the festive spirit singing about the 12 cranial nerves!
Landmark moment in the history of body donation.
This milestone event celebrated not only the impressive achievement of her promotion to Professorship, but also a landmark moment in the history of body donation. Toni Crews was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer of the tear duct at the age of 26, and after a tremendously brave four-year battle, which involved the removal of an eye, she sadly passed away. Her decision to not only donate her whole body to the BSMS, but to give permission for the use of public display and anatomical examination has meant that the curtains have been lifted and there is more awareness on the procedures, ethics, and considerations of an anatomical laboratory cadaver dissection in the form of a brilliant Channel 4 documentary, My Dead Body.
Filming My Dead Body
The filmmakers skilfully balance a no-holds-barred anatomical exploration with a sensitive insight into Toni’s life, capturing her brave, funny, and thoughtful character. We also meet her family and friends and get insight into how her choice has impacted on them. Her parents do a wonderfully dignified job of talking about what must, no doubt, be a devastating experience, but Toni’s Dad says that he sees the fact that her organs will go on to help teach so many people as “an end of a chapter, rather than the end of the story”.
Toni’s Dad says that he sees the fact that her organs will go on to help teach so many people as “an end of a chapter, rather than the end of the story”.
Amazing legacy to leave behind
What is really striking, both in the documentary and on the in-person tour around the Anatomy laboratory, is the care and respect that Professor Smith, her colleagues, and all the medical students show towards Toni’s altruistic gift. It is well deserved, as she has already helped to teach 800 doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, and it’s projected that a further 8,000 – 10,000 (taken from documentary) more students will follow suit over the next five years.
In her lecture, Professor Smith highlights that absolute necessity of cadaveric donations to medical science and goes on to say that one single body donation could affect the lives of around ten million patients. What an amazing legacy to leave behind!
“What really stood out was the care and respect that the anatomists showed for the whole process” – Lois Leese, Events and Outreach Lead.
“Having experienced prosection as part of my course, going to this event humanised the donors and really put into perspective how brave they are. I really enjoyed the practical element of using the ultrasound probes to find our veins and arteries. It was so exciting to see my own carotid artery as well as Charlotte’s ulnar artery.” -Estella Brown, Events and Outreach Supervisor.
It is not suprising that this anatomy team are also winners of 2023 CATE award
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