Oregon Brain Preservation
A Non-profit Organization

Case - Patient 13

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6/1/2022

 

Medical History

Female

Birthdate: 2/28/1943

Age: 79

Cause of death: unknown

Medical history: unknown

 

Son contacted us for services.  His mother had just passed away in Louisiana.  We called Alcor, and they were familiar with the patient.  She had been signed up with Alcor for years and was a good person, but for some reason her arrangements with Alcor had lapsed.  The son said that she had a life insurance policy but that it would take time to get the funds.  We quoted $8000 for cryopreservation plus additional for any transportation costs.  Since he had no immediate funds, we agreed to pay for the transportation and get reimbursed later. 

 

She weighed about 110 lbs. The funeral home agreed to place 20lbs of dry ice and frozen gel packs around the head.  When the body arrived, no dry ice remained and the gel packs were no longer cold.  Moved body into refrigeration.  The next morning, we performed the procedure to remove the brain.  It was placed in 8L of 10% NBF (4% formaldehyde) and 3% glutaraldehyde.  Body was sent for cremation and the cremains were returned to the son.

 

In November, the son made full payment for the transportation and cryopreservation.  We began ramping cryoprotectant.  A graph will be posted.  We held off on cryopreservation because we were hoping to get our CT scanner fixed first.  It's our standard procedure to take a CT scan of all brains prior to subzero cooling.  This is to verify adequate cryoprotectant concentration.  But the CT scanner repair is taking too long.  We are confident of adequate cryoprotection because of the many months of equilibration, so we plan to move to liquid nitrogen very soon.

 

Timeline

6/1/22 - Date of pronouncement.  Placed in refrigeration.

6/6/22 - Son contacted us. 

6/8/22 - Body shipped

6/9/22 - Brain removed and placed in formalin

6/15/22 - Added 3% glutaraldehyde

7/13/22 - Body cremated

11/16/22 - Full payment

11/16/22 - Cryoprotectant ramp initiated