Ceremony celebrates those who gave a gift like no other

Ceremony celebrates those who gave a gift like no other

Published on Monday, April 28, 2025

By: Gary Pettus, gpettus@umc.edu

Photos By: Jay Ferchaud/UMMC Communications

Willie Frances Greer, who believed in the fortifying power of apple cider vinegar, downed a tablespoon every day.

"I told her she was going to outlive us all, her body was already preserved," said her granddaughter, Jena Lynch of Vicksburg. She did her best: Lynch's grandmother died on Dec. 8, 2024; she was 101.

Jennifer Cole's mother, also named Lynch (but no relation to Jena), was a special education teacher who loved crocheting, her flower garden, the Arkansas Razorbacks, her Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Cracker Barrel. Dorothy Lynch of Jumpertown died at age 79 on June 10, 2024, two days before her daughter's 51^st birthday.

Willie Frances Greer and Dorothy Lynch were two of the 106 names read aloud during the "Roll Call of Heroes" at last week's Ceremony of Thanksgiving, a memorial service for those who donated their bodies to science - specifically for the education of students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

During their time with the students, anatomical donors remain anonymous. Wednesday's ceremony at UMMC was an opportunity to give a name, and sometimes a story, to some of them.

First-year medical student Morgan McCray, one of six students who spoke during the occasion, addressed the donors' loved ones this way: "We saw their physical form, but we didn't know the full lives behind them - their laughter, their passion, their stories or the love they shared with each of you.

"And yet, in the quiet space of our anatomy lab, we felt the weight of their humanity. At this moment, we are all connected."

The connection began with the recently renamed Anatomical Gift Program, based in the Department of Advanced Biomedical Education, chaired by Dr. Norma Ojeda.

The average age of those who become anatomical donors is 80 to 85, said Dr. Yuefeng "Jordan" Lu, professor of advanced biomedical education at UMMC. The average number of body donation calls each year is 200 to 250, but about half of those offers are declined because of medical conditions or other circumstances.

"There is still a big need for donors," Lu said.

The donors' remains are either returned to the family or buried in the UMMC Cemetery - recently furbished by Ojeda's department and other UMMC faculty, staff and grounds crew members.

There, the memorial service usually takes place, but because of the threat of rain this year, it was moved indoors to the Student Union. Afterward, Jena Lynch and her sister, Dana Long of Hernando, visited the burial grounds, where they reflected on the life and times of Willie Frances Greer among the newly cleaned gravestones.

"You knew my grandmother was from way back when because she would go without before she would spend any money on herself," Lynch said.

"She liked to crochet blankets for her grandkids and great-grandkids. She enjoyed sitting outside on the sidewalk and talking to her neighbors. She was really close to her sisters; they laughed all the time. But, if you ever made her mad, you better watch out.

"She did bookkeeping at one time, and also worked at JCPenney. She lived within her means. She canned - jellies and preserves. She did with what she had."

For her part, Cole, a Booneville resident, remembered her mother for her courage in battling emphysema for much of her life, until she finally had to retire in her fifties.

A native of Cotton Plant, Arkansas, Dorothy Lynch was adopted at age 9, Cole said. "She was very easygoing. She always wanted to help people, which is why she donated her body.

"She was one of the most caring people I ever met. She had a lot battles in her life and always overcame them, like a true warrior.

"I'm thankful that she went out on her terms. She was a very sweet lady. She will never be replaced."

Among those whose education benefitted from the gift of an anatomical donor is Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, dean of the School of Medicine and a graduate of the medical school.

"It is something that you just never forget," she said to the donors' family members.

"Whatever occupation, profession or role your loved one had in their life, I am telling you now, you should add to that, to their list of accomplishments: teacher … . Without saying a word, your loved one helped teach anatomy, physiology, pathology."

Many of those who learned those lessons participated in the memorial service, including members of the UMMC Music and Medicine Choir, with their renditions of "You Raise Me Up" and "Amazing Grace."

Several students described to the families the impact the donors had on them academically and personally:

• "My grandfather [an anatomical donor], just like your loved ones, chose to leave behind a legacy of education, of healing, of bettering the world in ways that they would never see but that we, as students, will carry forward forever. In many ways, this experience has given me a sense of closure with my grandfather. What once felt like a loss without understanding has become a gift of knowledge and a bridge between grief and gratitude." - Claire Applegate, occupational therapy, School of Health Related Professions (SHRP)
• "Out of respect for our donors, we deemed them as our first patients … . They also taught us values like respect, professionalism, and commitment to lifelong learning… . They nurture our dreams and aspirations in becoming health care professionals." - Avery Tollison, physical therapy, SHRP
• "Through them we not only learned about anatomy, but also about humility, respect, the immense responsibility that comes with the privilege of caring for others. No textbook or lecture could have ever taught us this. It reminded us that behind every lesson is a life and behind every life is a story." - Nicholas McGowan, School of Dentistry
• "If I could personally thank our donors, I would say, … 'Because of you, 162 future physicians are better prepared to begin their journeys, grounded in humility, gratitude and compassion. You taught us more than anatomy. You reminded us that medicine begins with a relationship of trust, dignity and with human connection.'" - Morgan McCray, School of Medicine
• "Through their donation, they help us to be better doctors, they help us to be better dentists, they help us to be better health care professionals and scientists. Last, but not least, they help us to be better humans because they teach us the true value of giving." - Santosh Malwade, clinical anatomy, School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences (SGSHS)
• "Not only did we learn about their muscles and their organs and nerves, but we also learned about the fragility of the human body and the beauty of a life well-lived. Most importantly, we learned how deeply personal the field of medicine is. Their legacy lives on in each of us, in the care we give, the knowledge we apply and the lives we touch." - Ainsley Sinclair, biomedical sciences, SGSHS

To view a video of the ceremony, go here. To learn more about the Anatomical Gift Program or to register, go here.