When Chris died on 8th August after 5 years of cancer treatment he left only two requests - he wanted an eco coffin and he wanted to leave is body to medical science.  The first request was easily dealt with and he was borne with dignity into church by our three sons for his final service in some thing resembling a large picnic hamper.  The second was more tricky.   Neither his doctor, the undertaker nor his hospice manager knew the actual process for doing this - and the clock was ticking.  Chris had been a medical student and knew the value of human remains for training and research purposes.  He also had spent his entire life supporting and enabling those he came into contact with.  This was a request to be taken very seriously.

The first hurdle was that he seemed not to have left written authorisation although he had mentioned his wish to many of us.  Through the website wonderfully named 'donating-a-body-for-medical research' I learned that consent was needed for whole body donation but not for donating a brain to the Brain Bank.  I was quickly in touch with the London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, at Kings College London, who manage the brain and spinal cord material needed for research.  I learned that research into dementia and related conditions needs not just affected tissue but unaffected, control material for every piece of research that is carried out - and that this was in very short supply.  I remembered how dismayed the author Terry Pratchett had been when he was diagnosed with a form of dementia, at how little research was being done into the condition at that time.  Things are changing.  The Brain Bank represents a pioneering first step into a coordinated nationwide programme of much needed research into dementia.

On the morning of 9th August, hours after his death, Chris's brain was on its way to the Brain Bank for the benefit of countless numbers of people.  I know he would have been delighted.  To have made a humanitarian contribution of a radical nature; to have supported an emerging organisation and to have provided resource that is scare and much in demand just about sumed up Chris's whole approach to life. 

One problem the Brain Bank has is awareness.  I was delighted to hear John Humphrys talking on the Today programme last week about the work they are doing, but most people have still not heard of it.  What they need is money to fund promotion as well as research.  Give to this worthy cause - give and remember Chris fondly and his last wish that they so wholeheartedly fulfilled - oh, and think of me on Sunday http://www.cycletta.co.uk/event-info/cycletta-brighton.aspx