For the third consecutive year at the Faculty of Medicine MU, we commemorated all those who donated their bodies in order to ensure quality education of anatomy at our Faculty at our reverence meeting. Following a suggestion from the Head of the Department of Anatomy FM MU, the idea of building a memorial for body donors at the Central Cemetery in Brno arose. This idea was then adopted by the students of the Medical Students’ Association.
For many bereaved, it is especially difficult to come to terms with not being able to bury their deceased following traditional manners and customs. This memorial, where the ashes of body donors will be buried, could help the bereaved come to terms with this fact, as it will be a dignified place of reverence, where they can come honour the memory of their deceased. By building the memorial, the student and academic community of FM MU would like to express their gratitude to all the donors of bodies for anatomical autopsies.
The Dean of the Faculty states: “I very much appreciate the activity of the students and especially of our Medical Students’ Association. Extracurricular activity, which is directly connected to our Faculty is a great example of the unity between our students and academics. It is fascinating, that students do not only think about their own benefit but also appreciate the body donors, thanks to whom they are able to receive adequate education of anatomy, which every doctor, dentist and medical staff member needs. I believe that the memorial will be a dignified acknowledgement of everyone, who helped educate our students, and for our students it will be a place of acknowledgement of humility towards the donors as well as the transience of human existence.”
Klára Dolinová, the new president of the Medical Students’ Association adds: “Thank you. For the entire Medical Students’ Association, but also for all the students for whom anatomy lessons were the gateway to become not only a good doctor but also a humble person. With all this humility, we pay honours to all the donors, who donated or will donate the most valuable: their bodies, so that we, students of Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, could become better doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or dentists in the future.”
“Every year, around 1,000 students of General Medicine, Dentistry and Healthcare study programmes complete their anatomy course. Even though there are modern teaching technologies available which partially substitute studies of cadavers, the practical lessons using the bodies of the deceased are a fundamental and indispensable method of teaching our future medical staff. For this reason, we value our donors immensely, as without their selfless donation, the education of anatomy would not be possible.” states MUDr. Marek Joukal, PhD, the Head of the Department of Anatomy FM MU, about how irreplaceable autopsies are.
The funding for the construction of the memorial will come through the active public fundraiser on the transparent account 2901871435/2010, organized by the Medical Students’ Association. The general public can also participate in the fundraiser.
The sixth annual Act of Rememberance for Body Donors filled the renovated ceremonial hall of the Central Cemetery. Czech Television also filmed the event.
A memorial service will be held in the ceremonial hall of the Central Cemetery in Brno on 2 November at 5 pm for people who agreed to use their bodies after death for the purpose of teaching future doctors. A new collection for a memorial to these donors has begun.
