Students honor ‘first patients’ at anatomical gift ceremony

First-year medical student Eric Meyer-Reed, right, presents a rose to Alta Danek at the 2007 Anatomical Gift Program Memorial Service on Friday. Danek’s husband, Charles Danek, donated his body to UNMC through the program.

The words from Robert Binhammer, Ph.D., hit UNMC first-year medical student Dan Sova square in the chest.

As Sova and fellow first-year medical students were about to work with cadavers for the first time, Dr. Binhammer, a long-time anatomy professor at UNMC, said, “Once you’re done with your own bodies, send them here, we’d love to use them.”

“His comments startled me,” Sova said Friday at a ceremony to honor 84 people who donated their bodies to UNMC to be used for training and research. “Suddenly I realized we were learning much more than anatomy. We were learning the science of humanity.”

More than 200 people — including loved ones of those who donated their bodies — attended the 2007 Anatomical Gift Program Memorial Service at the Westside Community Conference Center in Omaha.

The ceremony — which was conducted and hosted by first-year physician assistant, physical therapy and medical students — included music from a student choir and a rose ceremony during which a rose for each person who donated his or her body was given to a loved one.

“Your loved ones were our first patients,” said Sova, vice president of the College of Medicine’s class of 2010. “I learned to respect death and at the same time I gained an increased reverence for life.”

Dan Sova, vice president of the College of Medicine’s class of 2010, speaks at Friday’s anatomical gift ceremony in Omaha.

The ceremony served as a chance to remember and celebrate the lives of people who chose to contribute to life after their death, said the Rev. Nancy Phillips, a lay representative on the Nebraska Anatomical Board.

Phillips urged the crowd to talk about those who had died.

“The best way we can remember them is through the telling of stories,” Phillips said. “What stories do you have to share? What stories of your loved ones do you need to tell your family?”

Chalie Livingston, president of the physical therapy class of 2009, said the students were grateful to those who donated their bodies.

Each rose symbolized one of the people who donated their bodies to UNMC as anatomical gifts.

“Although we did not know your family members in life,” Livingston said, “we are here to celebrate their lives with you.”

Those who donated their bodies stand to help countless people in the future, said Brad Webb, president of the physician assistant class of 2008.

“Many people will be affected and truly touched by your loved ones’ decisions to donate their bodies to medical science,” Webb said.