A Sacred Encounter - Dignity in Death

Yesterday I was honored to photograph the testing and comparison of a new innovation that incorporates LED lights built into surgical spreaders that are specialized for breast cancer surgeries. Dr. D and the innovator Alex had arranged for a surgical simulation that involved a human cadaver in a medical lab.

For those of you unfamiliar with a cadaver, it is a deceased human body that is legally intended for science and/or dissection. There are many ways that people become cadavers, including signing off and/or selling physical rights for their bodies while still alive. They are used in many medical labs and schools for teaching medical students about the human body. In many labs or schools, the person’s identity is often removed before being delivered and/or dissection begins.

For this case, the subject was an older woman who had passed away this past January and the dissection would focus on her breasts using the new spreaders. Throughout the procedure and testing, Dr. D used his skills and expertise to perform progressive removal of breast tissue, while leaving the cavity of the breast intact to test the illumination and effectiveness of the spreaders inside the breast itself.

The entire process and testing lasted nearly four and a half hours and when it was done, Alex had all the documentation he needed to refine and improve the design and features of the instruments.

It was an amazing experience, but what made it truly sacred was before Dr. D took off his surgical gown, he gently placed his hand on the cadaver’s shoulder and quietly said “Thanks Hon. You helped us a lot today.”

It was moment of thanks and a moment of reflection that this lifeless and unidentifiable woman was more than just an experimental subject. Dr. D recognized her value and had given back her dignity, even though she probably never gave a second thought to what her body would become in death.

In reflecting on this display of compassion and dignity, it reminds me that all people are human beings. Regardless of one’s personal worldview, political perspective, color, or economic situation; when you strip away the identifiable features of that person, they are still human in nature and their unique spirit is worthy of being dignified - in life and in death.