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A cardiac pacemaker (~ 8mm thin, volume 12cc, 26 grams, implantable) to help regulate abnormal heart rhythms. (12MP camera, isolated, macro)
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BY JIM HALL
William Watson had read stories about the illegal trafficking in bodies and the plundering of body parts, and he didn't want that to happen to his father-in-law.
So the Stafford resident told the funeral home he wanted to be present when his father-in-law was cremated.
Watson wanted to see everything, from the placement of the remains in the furnace to the grinding of the pieces to the pouring of the ashes into the urn. All of it.
Watson said that workers at the funeral home told him that would be fine. They asked only that he sign a release.
Watson's father-in-law was to be the last cremation of the day. The staff told Watson to be at the crematory at 4 p.m. The date was April 27, 2006.
When Watson arrived, he found that his father-in-law had been placed in a cardboard box. As the operator started to load the box into the furnace, Watson stopped him.
"How do I know that my father-in-law is in there?" Watson said.
The operator opened the box, and Watson could see the body of his 85-year-old father-in-law, dressed in a hospital gown.
Watson was satisfied, and the operator pushed the box into the oven.
Then the operator told Watson that the crematory was closing for the day and that he would have to leave.
Watson objected, saying that he had been told that he could see the entire cremation. That would be the only way he and his family would be certain that their wishes had been carried out.
But the operator insisted and Watson left. He returned the next day and retrieved a box of remains.
Within days, Watson complained to the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the state agency that regulates the funeral industry.
In September, Watson received a letter from the state, saying that there was insufficient evidence to find the funeral home in violation of state laws or regulations. For that reason, the business is not named in this story.
Still, Watson is dissatisfied. He said his family can never be sure that the remains he received were those of his father-in-law.
Watson also said that the crematory operator told him that his father-in-law's artificial knees would be removed from the oven and returned to the manufacturer for reprocessing and possibly resale.
Watson told state regulators he objects to such practices.
The manager of the funeral home declined to comment on Watson's case.
The funeral home defended itself before the state, saying that Watson and his family had agreed to everything that happened.
As for the artificial knees, they were not sold, the manager said later. They were sent for burial at a company cemetery in North Carolina.
Virginia requires crematories to be licensed, but otherwise does not regulate them. State law is silent on issues such as families witnessing a cremation or the re-use of medical implants.
"The funeral home has the authority to do what they wish with those parts," said Elizabeth Young, director of the state Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
However, Young said that the funeral board may recommend changes to state law at next year's General Assembly.
"The law is not as strong as some other states," Young said. "We have a task force that is looking at strengthening this law and to try to address some of the issues that Mr. Watson brought up in his complaint."
Jim Hall: 540/374-
Email: 5433jhall@freelancestar.com
| Hip implants are made of materials that can stay intact through high temperatures. |
| Ceramic false teeth and cardiac pacemakers are among the items that may remain after bodies are cremated. |
| SOME COMMON MEDICAL IMPLANTS |
