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Commited advocate heads bodies-for-research drive
January 8, 2010, Friday
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THERE are practical and cultural barriers to people donating their body for medical research after death, but a Hangzhou man is working to make it easier and acceptable, Xu Wenwen writes. Donating bodies for medical research is not a concept easily accepted among Chinese. Burial is believed to bring peace to the deceased in the afterlife and tombs are a place where generations can always pay their respects.
Many people and their families, therefore, are reluctant to consider donation and some are concerned that bodies and organs could be sold.
A 77-year-old gentleman and cancer survivor is trying to change attitudes and persuade people that they can continue to help others after they die.
In November 2007, Wu Zhifu founded a Willed Body Donation Club that now has more than 200 volunteers willing to donate their remains to medical schools. So far 208 cadavers have been donated.
In most cases the bodies would later be returned for burial.
The club held its annual meeting last month in Hangzhou Cuiyuan Sanqu Community's meeting hall.
Most of the donors are young or middle-aged; the youngest is a 29-year-old doctor.
Founder Wu, who has battled cancer for 33 years, has been named one of the "Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Stars" in Hangzhou City and Zhejiang Province.
In 1977 he was diagnosed with cancer and was told he had no more than six months to live.
But through diet, exercise and optimism he has survived, with his cancer mostly in remission.
Anatomy classes
He has battled five recurrences and today looks healthy.
Wu dedicates his time to visiting cancer patients and encouraging them with his own story.
In 1990 he learned that medical students lacked cadavers for anatomy classes.
Wu signed a form donating his body to the Zhejiang University's School of Medicine, the only place officially approved for body donation.
But it took Wu six months to convince his family it would not be impious or irreverent not to bury his body.
"Our bodies are resources, so why not donate them to help others instead of letting them decay or be cremated," Wu says.
He persuaded some relatives and friends to pledge to donate, but the intention wasn't always followed.
A major reason is that donated bodies must be picked up by a hospital no later than seven hours after death.
But the medical school didn't always stay in touch with donors so when one died, he or she was buried or cremated - the family often didn't remember the donation agreement.
Since medical school staff were too busy to stay in contact with donors, Wu decided to do it himself.
He persuades more people to donate, registers them and contacts them periodically.
He appeals to the media to publish reports on the donation issue.
As a result, he has free office space donated by an entrepreneur and the support of the Zhejiang University's School of Medicine.
After opening, Wu received many calls and visits, including inquiries from outside of Hangzhou.
"Quite a few people told me they had considered donation for a long time but never knew where to donate," he says.
To win the support of donors' families, Wu visits many relatives and finds a recurring concern: no tomb where they can pay their respects.
Return ashes
However, the medical school will provide for cremation and return the ashes to the body for burial.
But Wu came up with another idea: taking videos of elderly people who are committed to donating, so their families could have the satisfaction of viewing them when alive before they receive their ashes.
Using his own funds, Wu hires professionals to shoot videos of donors over 80 years old. He has spent 1,000 yuan (US$146) so far.
Every month Wu calls elderly donors and periodically visits them, taking gifts. He has sponsored three meetings of the club.
Before Wu's club was formed, the limited community information efforts by the university were not very persuasive. In the period from 1984 to 2007 it received less than 900 cadavers that had been willed to them.
Last month the club set up 14 registration spots around the city, to make it convenient to sign donation forms. Some are in clinics and hospitals but most are in the homes of dedicated donors who are also coordinators and outreach workers.
Wu aims to increase the registration locations to 40 this year, including homes for the elderly and community centers.
Many people and their families, therefore, are reluctant to consider donation and some are concerned that bodies and organs could be sold.
A 77-year-old gentleman and cancer survivor is trying to change attitudes and persuade people that they can continue to help others after they die.
In November 2007, Wu Zhifu founded a Willed Body Donation Club that now has more than 200 volunteers willing to donate their remains to medical schools. So far 208 cadavers have been donated.
In most cases the bodies would later be returned for burial.
The club held its annual meeting last month in Hangzhou Cuiyuan Sanqu Community's meeting hall.
Most of the donors are young or middle-aged; the youngest is a 29-year-old doctor.
Founder Wu, who has battled cancer for 33 years, has been named one of the "Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Stars" in Hangzhou City and Zhejiang Province.
In 1977 he was diagnosed with cancer and was told he had no more than six months to live.
But through diet, exercise and optimism he has survived, with his cancer mostly in remission.
Anatomy classes
He has battled five recurrences and today looks healthy.
Wu dedicates his time to visiting cancer patients and encouraging them with his own story.
In 1990 he learned that medical students lacked cadavers for anatomy classes.
Wu signed a form donating his body to the Zhejiang University's School of Medicine, the only place officially approved for body donation.
But it took Wu six months to convince his family it would not be impious or irreverent not to bury his body.
"Our bodies are resources, so why not donate them to help others instead of letting them decay or be cremated," Wu says.
He persuaded some relatives and friends to pledge to donate, but the intention wasn't always followed.
A major reason is that donated bodies must be picked up by a hospital no later than seven hours after death.
But the medical school didn't always stay in touch with donors so when one died, he or she was buried or cremated - the family often didn't remember the donation agreement.
Since medical school staff were too busy to stay in contact with donors, Wu decided to do it himself.
He persuades more people to donate, registers them and contacts them periodically.
He appeals to the media to publish reports on the donation issue.
As a result, he has free office space donated by an entrepreneur and the support of the Zhejiang University's School of Medicine.
After opening, Wu received many calls and visits, including inquiries from outside of Hangzhou.
"Quite a few people told me they had considered donation for a long time but never knew where to donate," he says.
To win the support of donors' families, Wu visits many relatives and finds a recurring concern: no tomb where they can pay their respects.
Return ashes
However, the medical school will provide for cremation and return the ashes to the body for burial.
But Wu came up with another idea: taking videos of elderly people who are committed to donating, so their families could have the satisfaction of viewing them when alive before they receive their ashes.
Using his own funds, Wu hires professionals to shoot videos of donors over 80 years old. He has spent 1,000 yuan (US$146) so far.
Every month Wu calls elderly donors and periodically visits them, taking gifts. He has sponsored three meetings of the club.
Before Wu's club was formed, the limited community information efforts by the university were not very persuasive. In the period from 1984 to 2007 it received less than 900 cadavers that had been willed to them.
Last month the club set up 14 registration spots around the city, to make it convenient to sign donation forms. Some are in clinics and hospitals but most are in the homes of dedicated donors who are also coordinators and outreach workers.
Wu aims to increase the registration locations to 40 this year, including homes for the elderly and community centers.
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