Page 42 - Humanism 2019

The Death and Life of a Donor Patient

By Nicholas Woo, COMP-Northwest student

Co-Written by Brion Benninger MD, MSc, and COMP-Northwest students Mario Gaddini, Mackenzie Murphy, Whitley Nelson,
Julia Fischer, Hannah Killian, and by Reverend Wes Sedlacek.

n December 7, 2018, first-year medical students at each donor patient, and express the sincerest gratitude to
OWestern University of the Health Sciences College of you and your loved ones for the gift you have given to our
Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest (COMP- education and to the health of so many of our future
Northwest) held a Donor Patient Memorial Service. This patients. I only hope that we as future physicians may
annual tradition honors donor patients from the Willed practice the self-sacrifice that you and your loved ones
Body Program who served as study subjects within the have modeled to us.”
human anatomy laboratory. At the ceremony, friends and
family of the patients have an opportunity to hear about Gaddini then introduced Dr. Brion Benninger, professor
what the donation means and how it has aided the of clinical anatomy, to give the evening’s commemorative
students as future physicians. They also have a chance to address.
reflect on the donor patient’s lives and wishes. “Ladies and gentlemen, our dean and administration,
faculty, staff and our amazing students welcome you to
The ceremony began with a welcoming address from
student doctor Mario Gaddini, the class president and our second home, this medical school, to honor
master of ceremonies for the evening. individuals today who gave the ultimate gift so that others
may have healthier lives,” Benninger said.
“I am honored to speak on behalf of our class and share
“I want to share with you the essential ingredients that
our appreciation for the gift we received from you and
must be provided at the highest ethical and humane levels
your loved ones.”
to look after your loved one, who so graciously donated
“As future physicians, we may see anywhere from 10,000 themselves so that others may have improved health and
to 40,000 patients in our careers, and as we entered lab indeed a better quality of life. There are three major
that day we met our first patients. Many of us shared a ingredients.
paradoxical feeling, as our patients -- having just
1. Must have a facility which can provide them a home,
completed their journey — marked the commencement of
protect them, and look after them daily. This home
our journey in medicine.”
exists here in Lebanon within the walls of this
“I can say that this gift has not merely impacted all of us medical school and university.
who came in contact with your loved ones. This gift will
2. Must have an individual or team to be their
impact all of our future patients. I am grateful for the
guardians and protectors. Here we have such a
sacrifice that you and your loved ones have modeled. It
person in Steve Carmichael, who places the care and
serves as the foundation on which we will base the care of
responsibility of your loved one over anything else.
our future patients.”
He is a highly skilled individual with a team that is
“I want to thank the COMP-Northwest faculty for invested in caring for your loved one while future
cultivating an atmosphere that delicately holds respect for and current physicians learn about the anatomic

39 HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2019 • VOL. 22