Memorial and thanksgiving
Our annual memorial event gives thanks to those who have donated their body to biomedical education and research.
Each year our staff and students organise an annual thanksgiving and memorial event, inviting the relatives of our donors to show our gratitude for their selfless donation. We express our thanks through pieces of art and readings, sharing a moment with the families of those who have enabled immense value to the teaching and research efforts of the Wales Centre for Anatomical Education.
Memorial artwork
Our students produce artwork, poems and letters each year to give thanks to their donors.
"For my Medical Humanities Project I decided to imagine a happy time in my donor’s life and depicted this with watercolour. I chose an idyllic and serene setting in celebration of the life that my donor lived. I draw parallels to myself in this scene. As a first-year medical student, I think of myself as the grandson, inexperienced and young to the vast and complex world of human anatomy. However, I am not walking alone as I have my donor to guide me. The interlinked hands represent the remarkable passage of knowledge afforded by his selfless contribution. The sprawling tree in the background represents my own personal growth as this experience has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of death. I am truly privileged to have had this opportunity and will forever be thankful to my donor."