For five years, unclaimed bodies from Dallas and Tarrant counties were sent to the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth for medical research purposes. These bodies were assessed for usability, with some being cremated due to infectious diseases or decomposition, while others were embalmed or frozen. More than 830 bodies were used for training future healthcare professionals or leased out to medical schools, the U.S. Army, and for-profit medical technology companies. This practice was seen as economically beneficial and essential for advancing medicine.
However, after an investigation revealed that families were not informed about the use of their missing relatives’ bodies for research, the Health Science Center stopped using unclaimed bodies, fired program officials, and apologized to affected families. Nine more families came forward with similar stories, expressing shock and sadness over their loved ones being used for research without consent.
To aid families in finding answers, NBC News published a database of over 1,800 people whose bodies were donated to the Health Science Center by the two counties. The information was obtained through open records requests from the county medical examiners. This development highlights the importance of transparency and consent in the donation of bodies for medical research, as families deserve to know the fate of their deceased relatives and have a say in how their bodies are used.
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