Families left in the dark: UCSD, USC quietly sell donors’ bodies to Navy for Israeli military training
This article is a joint publication between Annenberg Media and The UCSD Guardian. Please read the online version on Annenberg Media’s website.
Note: This page is not the article. As the cumulative work of five student journalists, it is not correct for me to republish it in its entirety. Instead, this post outlines my involvement in the piece and reflections on the reporting I did.
When I first learned of this situation in late January, I felt it was missing an essential human element. The pained feelings of betrayal were hinted at or assumed; I was determined to bring the voices of those affected into the conversation.
Over three months, I interviewed three families.
Jamie Beecher’s body was donated to UC San Diego by his father, Michael, and sister, Brittany. His death was caused by an unexpected stroke at age 36. The two are divided in their perspectives on the situation, but are united by their love for and memories of Jamie.
Jean McNeil Sargent was profoundly grateful to the doctors who cared for her at the end of her life; she chose to donate her body to UC San Diego. Her granddaughter, Jennifer Gomez, feels “betrayed” by the school’s actions.
Kevin Grant is a medical miracle; the longest living person with a congenital heart defect. His wife, Courtney, has been making arrangements to donate her husband’s body to science. The couple are apalled by the news.
I interrogated the University of California system about its involvement, focusing on the UC Office of the President, UC Health, and UCSD’s Body Donation Program. After the reporting was done, the team and I spent two weeks refining the writing while coordinating edits from two distinct editor boards.
As my first investigation, reporting this came with a large learning curve; however, I feel the final product exceeds all of the expectations I had at the project’s outset. The gratitude expressed by the families will remain with me for the rest of my career.