The ultimate altruistic sacrifice of more than 90 anatomy donors will be recognised at The University of Queensland’s annual Thanksgiving Service on Wednesday, May 5.
This year's UQ Thanksgiving Service will honour the donors whose bodies were placed in the University’s care in 2008.
“These donors have assisted more than 5000 students from all health disciplines since they have been with us,” Leo Brown said.
Mr Brown, of the School of Biomedical Sciences, is the UQ Thanksgiving Service organising committee chair and is also the University’s Body Donor Program manager.
The May 5 service will be held at the UQ Centre, Union Road, St Lucia at 5.30pm with UQ Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Keniger among the guests.
Mr Brown said the University welcomed relatives and friends of donors, and interested members of the community to attend the service.
“The gift of donors is important for the training of health students from disciplines including medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, science, speech pathology and audiology, dentistry, pharmacy and human movement studies,” Mr Brown said.
“Their gift also assists surgeons and other health professionals who need access to the study of human anatomy to maintain the highest standards of care for the general public.
“The Body Donor Program also provides support to other universities in Queensland.”
Mr Brown said in the University’s Centenary year, University staff and students would reflect on the community’s generous recognition of the need for anatomy donations as an important service people could provide for society.
“The University has been receiving donations since 1927, when the first donations were used in the training of doctors and dentists,” he said.
UQ has been holding the Thanksgiving Service since 1992, when it acknowledged all donors to the School of Biomedical Science's Bequest Program since 1927. The event was the first of its kind in Australia and New Zealand. Appreciated by relatives and the community, it is now an important UQ tradition.
Mr Brown said representatives from a number of multi-faith traditions will speak at this year's service.
He said other tertiary institutions in Australia and New Zealand had adopted UQ's model.
For details of the Thanksgiving Service, visit http://www.uq.edu.au/sbms/thanksgiving-service
For details of the University’s body donor program visit: http://www.uq.edu.au/sbms/body-donate-program
People requiring more information about the Thanksgiving Service can contact:
• Leo Brown (Chairman) email: leo.brown@uq.edu.au phone: (07) 3365 2515
• Rev Peter Rama Rau (UQ Multifaith Chaplaincy Services), email p.ramarau@uq.edu.au, phone 3365 7059.
Media: Thanksgiving Service chair Leo Brown (07 3365 2515) or Jan King at UQ Communications (07 3365 1120).
