ATSU students, faculty, staff host Gift of Body event at Kirksville’s Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery
Posted: October 28, 2025
A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) and Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) students donned their white coats and passed through the gates to Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery in Kirksville, Missouri, for the annual Gift of Body ceremony on Oct. 22, 2025. These students gathered alongside faculty, staff, and alumni to honor those who donated their bodies to ATSU-KCOM’s Anatomy department.
“Today, we will honor and remember your loved ones for their unselfish gift. Because of their generosity, the medical students, nursing students, faculty, physicians, and many others have had the opportunity to learn the structures and functions of the human body,” said Casandra Luscan, anatomy lab manager for ATSU-KCOM, addressing the families of donors. “I understand that for some of you sitting down in the chairs it may have been difficult to accept or to make the decision to donate your loved ones. But my goal is that after today you will see the gift your loved ones had such a positive impact on so many people here around us.”
Peter Kondrashov, PhD, professor and chair, anatomy, ATSU-KCOM, similarly expressed the University’s gratitude for all donors and extolled the profound value of their gift.
“Obviously the anatomy study is super important,” Dr. Kondrashov said, “but the body of each donor is so much more than that. Really, this is the silent teacher who became our student’s first patient and provided an absolutely unique experience to our students. There is nothing that could replace that.”
This message was further reinforced by four speakers who spoke on behalf of several ATSU student organizations. These students testified to the impact of donors on their own education and incorporated elements of faith and tradition into their speeches, which offered unique perspectives on both the gift of body and the experience of loss.
“As medical students, we spend countless hours studying anatomy, physiology, and different diseases,” said Josh Avina, OMS II, Student Government Association president for ATSU-KCOM, “but no textbook, no model, and no video could ever teach us what your loved ones have taught us. Through their generosity, we learn not only about the structure of the human body, but also about humility, compassion, and respect. Their gift has shown us what it truly means to serve others selflessly.”
Smriti Kumar, who spoke on behalf of the Indian Student Association, echoed this sentiment.
“In many Indian traditions, life and death are seen as parts of a continuous cycle – not an ending, but a transformation,” Kumar said. “Our donors, through their choice, have allowed themselves to live on in us: in the skills we build, in the compassion we cultivate, in the patients we will one day serve. It is a reminder that knowledge, healing, and kindness can outlive us – that even in death there is promise and impact.”
Other speakers emphasized the concept of renewal in particular and built on their own religious background to offer empathy and support to the families present. Michael Newman, OMS II, on behalf of the Latter-day Saints Student Association, offered the reassurance God’s plan does not end with death, and the gift of renewed body is promised to all.
“I do not mean to say that we should not grieve, or there not be sorrow for loved ones who are gone. Even Jesus wept,” Newman said. “What I do mean to say is that God has comfort for those who will come to him and great promises made to us out of his abundant mercy.”
Leighton Douglas, OMS II, who spoke on behalf of the Christian Medical and Dental Association, followed Newman with a similar expression of the solace accessible through faith.
“We give thanks to God for these donors, thanks to the families, and thanks to the donors themselves for allowing us to further our understanding and education,” Douglas said. “May their gifts allow us to traverse the cycle a little bit longer, and a little bit smoother.”
Allison Goldenstein, DO, MPH, ’22, former anatomy fellow, highlighted the individual lives of each donor and celebrated their legacy of generosity and love.
“Your loved ones have not been forgotten, nor will they be,” Dr. Goldenstein said. “In our labs, their presence is felt each and every day, not just in the knowledge that they provide but in the way that they remind us to care for one another, and to treat the body, each patient, and each life in a sacred way, with the utmost care and dignity.”
Two student musical groups performed to honor the donors. The ceremony included a 21-gun salute by a local veterans’ organization, followed by the playing of “Taps.”
As Luscan returned to the podium to conclude the ceremony, she brought with her a letter addressed to the students gathered in the cemetery. This letter was penned by the family of Richard William Baker, a donor. The Baker family described Richard as someone who chose to spark small moments of joy, whether that be by dressing up as Santa on the holidays or randomly distributing two-dollar bills. He was deeply invested in the lives of those around him, even perfect strangers, and it was this innate empathy that led him to choose to donate his body. The family expressed their hope the students would be inspired by Richard’s life and even provided an envelope of two-dollar bills to be distributed to students after the ceremony.
Luscan then returned her attention to the families, again expressing deep gratitude and sincere condolences.
“Our hope is that the next time you’re mourning the loss of your loved one, or having a rough day, you stop and take a moment for all the lives that they’ve impacted around the world,” said Luscan.
https://www.atsu.edu/kirksville-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/community/gift-of-bodyLearn more about the Gift of Body program here.
