Where We Go When We Donate Ourselves to Science
When someone dies, they reserve the right to declare how they want their body to be dealt with. In most cases, people sign up for a traditional burial, or to be cremated. However, there is also the option to donate one’s body for research purposes. This is exactly what one Arizona man’s mother signed up for when she died, although the reality of what really happened ended up far more horrific, and shined a light on how unregulated this industry really is. When Jim Stauffer was signing the paperwork to donate his mother’s body, he specifically checked NO on a question asking if explosive testing was permitted. This apparently did not prevent the Biological Resource Center in Pheonix from selling the body to the US army for IED blast testing. Multiple investigations from Stauffer’s Attorney Michael Burg revealed just how unreal this illegal trade was. For one thing, bodies donated weren’t kept in the center and then cremated and returned as per protocol, but were instead “diced up and sold”, while families received cement dust instead of ashes. Burg elaborated by pointing to lack of regulation as the primary cause for this trade. Although civil trials have begun, it would be well worth making sure regional laws are up to date, and be a bit more cautious with donating our bodies and those of our loved one to “science”.
A body donated to science – but used to test bombs – BBC News
By: Arda Can Utkan
