First person to sign up for OUWB Body Donation Program shares why she didn’t think twice about it
What happens to our bodies after death can involve deep reflection and be emotionally challenging, but it was a relatively easy process for Sherry Wynn Perdue, Ph.D.
That’s because as soon as the director of Oakland University’s Writing Center learned of a new opportunity to donate her body to science, she was in.
The opportunity?
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine’s Body Donation Program — a critical part of the school’s curriculum that allows medical students to learn anatomy through the study of real human bodies.
It relies on people like Wynn Perdue to volunteer as body donors. Since launching in February, Wynn Perdue is among 60 to have signed up for the program.
“I always wanted to donate my organs,” says Wynn Perdue. “But I’m fifth generation breast cancer and had a bilateral mastectomy…and there are other cancers in my family. I started thinking that I really wouldn’t feel right about donating my organs with the potential that somebody could get cancer.”
“Instead, I made the decision to ensure that students could learn from my body.”
It’s a decision that will positively impact countless others, said Malli Barremkala, M.D., associate professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies, and director of OUWB’s Body Donation Program.
“I believe Sherry is incredibly generous and she will play a vital role in advancing medical education and research,” he said. “Her selfless act will help future OUWB students to learn and improve their skills, which will eventually improve patient care and outcome.”
(Only partial stories are posted here with hopes to provide a brief overview and introduction to my most recent work. The full version of this story may be found on the OUWB InMedicine site here.)
