To show appreciation for anatomical donors who dedicated their bodies to science over the past school year, the University of Delaware’s College of Health Sciences hosted its 2023 Anatomical Donor Service of Gratitude in the Audion of STAR Tower. Students from the Doctorate in Physical Therapy program used this space to show how grateful they are to families of donors who have given the generous gift of directly learning anatomy.

The event was attended by students, faculty, and staff at CHS, as well as families related to the twenty donors. These donors are typically referred to as “silent teachers” through their contributions to the development of future healthcare leaders in the lab.

This year’s welcome speech was led by Charles Buz Swanik, deputy dean for CHS. Opening remarks were provided by David Ebaugh, director of the Human Anatomy Lab, followed by physical therapy student presentations from Danika Drugge, Jennifer Luby, and Trysha Ortega. Each speaker contributed reflections concerning the importance of their experience working with the donors and the impact their gift will have, even beyond the students of UD.

Jennifer Luby, a physical therapy student who led one of the student presentations and serves as a member of the Service of Gratitude Committee, explained what made this year’s event unique.

“This year, we opened the floor for donor families to come up and light a candle for their family member,” Luby said. “We also allowed the option to speak if they wished. One of the families talked about their mother’s role in their life and another shared a poem from their father.”