X-Message-Number: 24112 From: Subject: CI's 64th Patient Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 01:41:38 US/Eastern CI's 64th Patient deanimated shortly after midnight on Sunday morning. The event caught too many people by surprise. Knowing he had cancer, the Member's paperwork and funding were in order. But he was living at home and apparently getting better thanks to his new Erbitux treatments. His deterioration was very sudden -- he was in the hospital only about a day before his deanimation. The hospital staff were not informed of his cryonics arrangements, nor were many in his family, although his wife had signed a next-of-kin form. The funeral director had been forewarned and responded fairly rapidly. CI only learned of the deanimation from the funeral director. The Patient's family should have understood the importance of contacting CI immediately when the Member went to the hospital, the hospital staff should have been informed and persons willing to stand by to render immediate CPS should have been found. My commitment as CI President is that CI Members/Patients will benefit as a result of my being President. I am not proud of my role in this case. Complacency about apparently recovered cancer patients can be hazardous. I have resolved to have more personal discussions with CI Members who are cancer patients, their family and their funeral directors. -- Ben Best, President Cryonics Institute Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24112