Page 44 - Humanism 2019

memorial services. It’s called We Remember Them and it “May this time of remembrance for those who loved us
was written by Sylvan Kamens & Rabbi Jack Riemer.
At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember
them.
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring;
We remember them.
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of
summer; We remember them.
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the
autumn; We remember them.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter;
We remember them.
At the beginning of the year and when it ends;
We remember them.
As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a
part of us as We remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength;
We remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart; We remember them.
When we have decisions that are difficult to make;
We remember them.
When we have joys we yearn to share; We remember
them.
When we have achievements that are based on theirs;
We remember them.
For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are
now a part of us as We remember them.
“December 7 is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, so it is appropriate that we remember as well
tonight the special sacrifice made by those of our donors
who gave time to our country for military service. We
recognize that without their offering, we would not have
the many freedoms we have today.
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and those who taught us be a recognition that their spirits
continue to live; for this is not just a belief, but a fact.”
With the conclusion of the invocation, uniformed students
of the school’s military club presented folded flags of the
United States honoring the veteran donor patients and
placed them on a table in plain view of the entire
audience. Taps was played as they stood at attention and
saluted. At its conclusion, the military students marched
off, leaving the flags for the remainder of the ceremony.
Six medical students stood behind a table full of unlit
candles, four of them prepared to light them using candles
of their own and two held a list of all the donor patient
names for the year. The students with the lists presented
the names of all the donor patients involved in the
program. With every short set of patients, a candle was lit
on a table in the front. The speakers presented the names
slowly giving every name weight and reverence, ensuring
each person had their due moment. By the end of this
section, the table in front twinkled with candlelight, a
vigil of remembrance and generosity.
The donor patient program was created so that medical
students learn human anatomy using real patients, and
therefore the next set of speakers were all anatomy
students who could articulate their experience learning
from the donor patients.
First to speak was Julia Fischer, “I have a special place in
my heart for The Willed Body Program here at COMP-
Northwest. I had the privilege of working with donor
patients at the University of Oregon before being
introduced to my first patient here. I once asked my
undergraduate anatomy professor (perhaps a bit too
forwardly) if he would donate his body when he died. He
replied, ‘Yes of course, because I’d continue to be teaching
even in death.’ As a lifelong learned and teacher, I found
this incredibly moving and inspiring. It was a perfect
symbol for the beautiful, selfless gift that every donor
patient gives us. For me it was the chance and the
freedom to learn on my own terms, without fear of
HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2019 • VOL. 22