Gift of Body ceremony honors donors’ lives and generosity

The University of Missouri School of Medicine community recently gathered inside the Patient-Centered Care Learning Center for its annual Gift of Body ceremony. Through the program, individuals generously donate their bodies to the medical school to provide vital education to students and assist future healthcare professionals.

Donated bodies are used for educational purposes for students training in the medical, physical therapy and athletic training professions. They’re also utilized in undergraduate anatomy courses, and by physicians and researchers who are involved in tailored studies to advance their educational and basic science research.

Each year, family members of individuals who donated their bodies to the program attend the ceremony. School of Medicine students, faculty and staff are also on-hand to honor that gift and express their gratitude in-person.

Kevin Flaherty, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences, serves as the Gift of Body program director. In his role, Flaherty coordinates and monitors the use of the donors’ bodies in medical school, physical therapy and undergraduate courses.

“The Gift of Body commemoration is a significant event every year because it provides us an opportunity to show the family members of our body donors how much we appreciate the gift their loved ones imparted to us,” said Flaherty. “Our donors give up their physical body so that the students at this university can learn, and this celebration allows us to express how much their generosity means to us and the level of respect in which we held the donors while they were in our care.”

Teresa Briedwell, associate department chair and professor in the College of Health Sciences, was the featured speaker on behalf of the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Health Sciences. Briedwell offered a unique perspective at this year’s Gift of Body ceremony, both as a teaching professor in the School of Medicine’s anatomy lab and a future donor to the program.

The opportunity to witness first-hand the impact donors’ bodies make for healthcare providers has only increased her appreciation for the Gift of Body program.

“There’s no teaching opportunity as powerful or effective as the experience in the anatomy lab with the generous donors,” said Briedwell. “We can better understand the relationships amongst the anatomical structures and observe the variability in the human body. As students reflect on the incredible gift they’ve been given, I hope they feel compelled to make a difference in this world through the future care they’ll provide.”

Over the years, working alongside the Gift of Body ceremony also influenced Briedwell’s decision to become a donor herself. While she currently conducts effective teaching in the anatomy lab, her goal is to make an even bigger impact on future healthcare providers through her donation.

“The generosity of the donors who’ve shared their gift with me has been inspiring,” said Briedwell. “I know they’ve made a difference in the care I provide to patients and I know they’ve made a difference in the growth of our students. I hope that my future Gift of Body donation will do the same for others and it will be an honor to be a part of this amazing group.”