“We’ve decided to donate our bodies to science, and we hope you’ll make sure of it,” Chuck Dorsey’s parents announced one day.
Dorsey was surprised to learn that his parents had been contemplating body donation at all. “I had no idea they had even considered something different than the conventional or traditional path like a funeral or a burial,” he said. “When they told me, I was very proud of them and for them.”
When asked about their decision, his mother, Cornelia “Corny” Graham Dorsey, and father, Charles “Charlie” Clyde Dorsey, posed another question: “If our bodies could help others to research and learn … then why not?”
Dorsey’s parents were married for 69 years and passed away within 27 days of each other. Corny was 87, and Charlie was 88.
The PCOM Georgia Body Donor Program is an anatomical donation program that provides human remains for medical students to study anatomy and pathology, advancing education for future physicians and healthcare providers. The program, led by Jeffrey K. Seiple, MBA, LFD, LE, director of Anatomical Labs and Services at PCOM and his team, covers transportation and cremation costs, returning cremains to families after studies.
During a profoundly emotional time, Dorsey described the body donation process as very smooth and practical.
“Once I had a conversation with Jeff Seiple and learned about the program, how the bodies would be used, and the respect shown to donors and their families, the choice was clear. It was an added bonus that they’d be supporting a local medical school here in Georgia,” Dorsey said.
“We were still processing a lot emotionally while managing practical matters. Within an hour or so of their passing, a hospice nurse contacted PCOM Georgia, and arrangements were made to transport and care for their bodies—honoring my parents’ wishes,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey and his wife, siblings, nieces and nephews will be among over 100 families attending this year’s Body Donor Memorial Service at PCOM Georgia on Saturday, April 11, an event that has grown each year since beginning in 2016. Organized primarily by first-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students with support from faculty and the Body Donor Program, the ceremony recognizes the profound educational impact of these gifts, which help train students in osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and biomedical sciences.
An added comfort for Dorsey was his familiarity with medical education, having worked for a medical equipment company where he collaborated with medical and nursing schools to educate students on a variety of devices such as otoscopes, stethoscopes, and blood pressure monitors. Over the years, he developed strong relationships with the staff and students and gained a deep understanding of the importance of hands-on learning with human bodies for research and education.
When asked what he hopes the doctoral students will learn from his parents’ donation, he said:
“The fact that students will get to work with a real body for learning and research. No matter how advanced AI technology becomes, I can't imagine a time when it would replace the value of working with an actual human body. Perhaps my parents' bodies will provide important insights into a disease or chronic condition, leading to answers, solutions, or even cures.”
What’s more, this experience has encouraged Dorsey to follow in his parents' footsteps when the time comes.
“When we think about the short time we have on this earth, many of us wonder how we’ll be remembered and whether we made a positive impact,” he said. “This experience, combined with my healthcare background, has motivated me to make the same donation—to give my body so that future medical students and researchers can learn, innovate, and solve more health problems.”
To learn more about PCOM Georgia’s Body Donor Program, click here.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
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Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
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