Question: Reading about funeral costs (808ne.ws/kline215) made me wonder about alternatives, such as donating my body to science — hopefully far into the future. Will the UH medical school reopen its program?
Answer: Yes. The Willed Body Program of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine has resumed accepting donated bodies, after a seven-month pause that began in July because there were so many pending donations, according to the program’s website, 808ne.ws/WBP.
Body donations were earlier paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, from September 2020 to April 2021. There was less need for cadavers then because fewer in-person classes were held during that time, according to news reports.
Cadavers are used to study of anatomy, “one of the most important courses in the education of physicians, therapists and all other health-care professions,” the program’s website says. The study of the structure and function of the human body serves as the foundation for other medical courses, and doctors further along in their careers also pursue advanced studies to enhance their skills and learn new techniques. “Body donation plays a critical role in helping medical and health-related science students to master the complex anatomy of the human body and provides researchers with an essential tool for discoveries to help patients,” it says.
As you figured, this program can reduce costs for body donors who die on Oahu, because the WBP “will cover all fees for transportation of your body to the School of Medicine and cremation,” the website says.
Prospective body donors must complete an Anatomical Gift Donation Form, which must pass a review for actual enrollment. Once an accepted donor dies, medical education and research might last from about two to 18 months, after which the body is cremated and the cremains are returned to whomever the donor designated to receive them. Most cremains are returned within 12 months, the website says.
For more information, review the program website or go to jabsom.hawaii.edu and click on “Willed Body” at the bottom of the page.
Q: Auwe. The Board of Water Supply charges households that use the most water the highest rates, which makes sense except when you think about all the ohana houses we have here — multiple generations living under one roof on the same meter. We are penalized even though, for the size of our ohana, we don’t actually use that much water if you look at it per person.
A: The Honolulu Board of Water Supply acknowledges that tiered single-family residential water-usage rates can affect multigenerational households with numerous people under one roof, but it doesn’t have a special rate category for those households. “With multi- generational households, we encourage them to take advantage of tools that help them use less water and apply for our Water Sensible rebates: Install water-efficient toilets, shower heads, and clothes washers. For outdoor water use, consider installing a rain catchment system. Install a smart water monitor to get data about water usage and potential leaks,” the BWS says on its website.
To answer another reader’s question, duplexes pay the single-family residential rates. Multi-unit rates, which are cheaper, apply to triplexes and larger, including residential high-rises, the BWS says on its website.
For more information about water rates, rebates and incentives, go to boardofwatersupply.com.
Mahalo
My husband and I are in our 60s. On Feb. 12 we had to put our beloved 14-year-old beagle, Daisy, to sleep due to her suffering from kidney failure. She was the only pet we’ve ever had, and she was our companion through recoveries from some serious health issues we’ve had, including a heart attack, cancer surgery and a severe cornea infection that kept my husband housebound for months. We sadly talked about Daisy over a saimin dinner at Jane’s Fountain on Liliha Street. My husband went up to to the counter to pay our bill, but the waitress said, “Oh, no need; Uncle paid for you,” and then gestured to a man sitting at the only other occupied booth in the shop. I can’t tell you how much this man’s generosity touched and brightened our hearts, especially right after losing our dear beagle. We warmly thanked him, but we would appreciate also acknowledging his kind act in Kokua Line. We laughingly say that maybe Daisy had a hand (paw) in sending us that blessing, from heaven. — L.Y.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
