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Happy New Year Twenty-Ten
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Body of evidence
C G Potnis willed his body to medical research. His daughter Sucheta
Potnis recounts her family’s journey to finding peace in her father’s
closing decision
Posted On Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 02:31:59 AM
Thirteen years ago, Anna, my father, who was almost eighty, then,
announced that he had donated his body for medical research. "Your
entire body? Why not the eyes, isn't that enough," my mother asked. My
brother and I were left speechless. We had known that our father did
have some unusual ideas, but donating your entire body was too
drastic. Anyway, it turned out that Anna had made up his mind, so he
must have given it serious thought.
Anna had registered his name for Dehadaan at the Lokmanya Sewa Sangh
(Tilak Mandir) in Vile Parle. To ensure that his wish wouldn't be
overlooked when he passed away, he neatly put away the papers in a
buff envelope. On the envelope, his beautiful copper plate handwriting
said, "Papers regarding the donation of the dead body of C.G. Potnis".
Signed C G Potnis, dated 3rd December 1996.
One hears of strong, forceful personalities shying away from making
their wills, as if by not thinking of their death, they can hoodwink
death. And here was my father, a slight, quiet man of eighty, calmly
writing out instructions about what to do with his body when he dies.
I wish now that all of us, Mother, my elder brother and I had sat down
and discussed the decision with him. Why did he think of it and how
long had he thought it over. It would have helped us to understand our
father a bit more.
As he crossed ninety, he said once in a while, "Who knows if they will
even accept my body now. They may simply say 'take him away, he is too
old to be of any use.'" We smiled. I would joke with him too. "Anna,
since you have donated your body, I may not be able to say good-bye to
you, since it may take me a while to reach Mumbai from Goa". He would
smile back.
Almost exactly 13 years since he wrote out the envelope, on 2nd of
December 2009, he stopped breathing. We had seen the end coming. His
breathing become more and more laboured till he sounded as if he was
drowning in front of us. His pulse kept getting fainter and then he
was gone.
As we sat around, in his now silent form, the question arose — Should
we go ahead with his wish of donating his body or not? We had
discussed this issue with the competent Dr Nadkarni, who had been
monitoring Anna. He had been very supportive, making several visits
while my father was slipping into a coma.
With Anna gone, we turned to him. He explained the procedure to us and
told us how badly bodies are needed by the medical colleges. Still,
the temptation was there. Wouldn't it be much easier on us, his
remaining family, to simply overlook his wishes and have a cremation?
We looked to our mother. Her wish was paramount. She too wavered. At
82, her mind has been conditioned to the norms of the society. No one
in her world of friends and relatives had ever done this. Then with a
second's hesitation, she took what was possibly the most difficult
decision of her life. "He didn't ask for much for himself. This is
something he really wanted. I don't think we can deny him that. Let's
do it," she said.
A few hours later, we accompanied my father on his last journey
through the traffic from our home in Parle to the J. J. Hospital. We
took the sea-link, only the second time my father had been on it. The
first time I had driven him and mother on it. He seemed to have
enjoyed it then, before fatigue overtook him. This time, he was at
rest. Covered with garlands and his favourite flowers, he had crossed
over to the other world without needing sea-links.
The Anatomy Hall of the J J Hospital is thankfully in a secluded part
of the enormous campus. Old trees shade the handsome black basalt
building with wide corridors and tall ceilings. The paperwork took an
hour, which, considering how long it takes for papers to move, wasn't
all that bad. The staff was co-operative and the young lady doctor in
charge, Dr Jasmine, was solicitous, assuring us that all due respect
is given to the bodies.
We had a few private moments with Anna in the ambulance itself and
then it was time to say good-bye. Four staff members carried the
stretcher upstairs as we watched from the bottom of the lofty steps.
Till the landing, we could see Anna's face, surrounded by the bright
flowers, with his aristocratic nose rising above.
Then they turned the corner and my father was gone, bearing the
biggest gift any human being can give to others — his own body.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/9/2009123120091231023159740f6dd862e/Bodyof-evidence.html
How to Donate Your Body to Science
http://www.ehow.com/how_110893_donate-body-science.html
Donating a Body For Medical Research
http://www.ifishoulddie.co.uk/donating-a-body-for-medical-research-c56.html
