Body program

of longtime yisd teacher deby lewis- after she lost her battle to cancer. at her memorial, there was no body to view. lewis decided she wanted her legacy as an educator to continue after death and willed her body to the paul l. foster school of medicine ‘willed body program.” abc-7’s jerrry najera has more in a story you’ll see only on abc-7: pkg: at the paul l. foster school of medicine- soon to be doctors are getting ready for a lesson. on this day the students are using educational models for t.v. purposes-typically they use real bodies. “the willed body progra is basically a program where community members elect to donate their bodies when they pass away” heather balsiger is director of the willed body program. she tells me first year medical students and residency programs not only use the bodies to learn about anatomny but numerous diseases as well. one body can educate as many as 16 students for a 10-month period. “whole body donation is hands down the best way to learn anatomy” “there’s ju something about the mind and body connection about being able to physically touch muscles touch the brain that it just stays with you” rebecca rodriguez is a 3rd year medical student she’s seen the effects of diseases and what they do to the body in ways most of us can’t see. “it gives me eve more fire to want to go out there and try to be the best doctor and promoter of overall health and well being to my future patients in hopes they can avoid these conditions” balsiger says the willed body program is not only beneficial to the students but for the community as well. there’s a good chance students learning at the medical center will continue their proffesion in el paso. “thi program is for el paso we are el pasoans we are a community that’s united together for a common purpose to educate heathcare proffesionals and this is a way that our community can give in other ways they can and maybe they can continue their story through teaching other people” once students finish with the bodies they are creamated and returned to the family officials for the willed body program say the sign up process is simple. you can apply in person or online and there’s only two forms you need to fill out. we’ll have a link to the willed body program along with this story on kvia.com.