The University of Alberta’s medical school pays tribute to anatomical donors whose gifts advance medical education. ‘The human body is a remarkable teacher,’ states Dr. David C. Williams, chair of the surgery department.
A Life of Resilience and Legacy
Doreen Edna Buhler, who passed away at 96, led a challenging yet inspiring life. Born on a farm in Calahoo, Alta., she moved to Edmonton after her father’s death, working at her husband’s family diner. Widowed at 39 with 13 children, she supported her family as a baker, pastry chef, and cook across city kitchens, drawing strength from her faith.
Her story continued after death through her donation to the University of Alberta’s Anatomical Gifts Program. This allowed future medical professionals to learn from her body.
‘She was incredible. She really was,’ Brigid Burton, her daughter, shared at the commemorative service. ‘She had this entire other chapter.’
Annual Memorial Service
Each spring, students and faculty gather to honor donors. At the recent event in a campus lecture hall, hundreds attended as names were read aloud, moments of silence observed, and families received yellow roses.
Dr. Williams emphasized the donors’ profound impact. ‘The human body is a profound teacher,’ he noted. ‘A remarkable gift.’
Donations support programs in medicine, dentistry, kinesiology, physical therapy, and physical education.
Family Reflections and Closure
The service offered closure for Brigid and her brother Anthony Buhler. Their mother, who died on April 29, 2024, had long expressed her wish to donate. She met her husband Patrick at the diner on Jasper Avenue, raising their children upstairs while baking renowned pies.
After Patrick’s sudden death in 1967, she cooked at St. Vincent’s Convent and the Court of Queen’s Bench kitchens. ‘Her gift was a final chapter in a remarkable life,’ Anthony Buhler said.
Brigid views the donation as an extension of her mother’s generosity. The family now plans to inter her ashes beside her husband. ‘It’s bringing that final closure. But in the meantime, there has been two years of this amazing legacy,’ Burton added.
Program Details and Impact
Operating since 1921, the Anatomical Gifts Program receives 50 to 80 donations annually, with over 10,000 registered intents. Coordinator Jason Papirny notes diverse donors, including university staff, nurses, and educators, who see it as continued teaching.
‘Talking to some of the donors, they’ve never gone to university. So this is one way they can go to university. Everybody looks at it a little bit differently,’ Papirny said.
Over one to two years, donations help students study anatomy, disease progression, treatments, research, and rare procedures. Families can receive remains or opt for cremation at Westlawn Funeral Home Cemetery.
Student Gratitude
Second-year medical student Margaret Juryn highlights the irreplaceable value of real bodies, which reveal unique life scars absent in textbooks. Her grandparents donated, and her mother plans to follow.
‘Entrusting your remains to an institution is a vulnerable choice that requires “absolute courage,”‘ she said. ‘I deeply admire your loved ones who were brave enough to take this leap.’
