British Mother Became The First Woman To Be Dissected Live On TV

Toni Crews wanted to help scientists study her rare type of cancer.

Toni Crews, a woman from Kent, faced a rare form of cancer and chose to make history after her death by becoming the first woman to be dissected on television.She passed away at the tender age of 30 in August 2020, after a brave battle with this uncommon illness.

Before she died, Toni shared that she was ‘fascinated’ by the changes happening within her body due to the cancer.She also told her parents about her wish to contribute to cancer research and to ‘educate millions’ by donating her body for scientific study, hoping to keep her memory alive through this act.

My Dead Body premiered in 2022.Channel 4

This led to the creation of the Channel 4 documentary My Dead Body, which aired for the first time on December 5, 2022.

Her mother, Jo, recounted to The Guardian before the documentary premiered, “She came out of the kitchen with a pile of forms.””[She] told us that was her plan. She’d printed them all out, signed them and asked us to be her witness. To her, it was simple”

Her father, Jason, added, “It was a typical Toni thing to do.” Jason continued to explain Toni’s thoroughness:”Tick all the boxes on the form; do whatever she can; say yes to everything.

“We discussed it a bit: how they might keep her body for a while, and how she’d said they could take pictures.”

He later remarked that they ‘didn’t realise’ how ‘groundbreaking’ her decision was at the time.After Toni’s death, Professor Claire Smith, the Head of Anatomy at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), reviewed her medical records.

Convinced that Toni’s rare cancer could provide ‘so much learning’ for future surgeons, Professor Smith reached out to the Crews family.With their permission, she proceeded with the idea of using Toni’s body for educational purposes, which eventually led to the documentary concept.

Thus, instead of a traditional funeral, Toni’s remains were transferred to BSMS for detailed study.In the documentary My Dead Body, Professor Smith conducts a series of educational workshops, each focusing on a different aspect of Toni’s anatomy.

Additionally, the film includes archival recordings of Toni, who first got diagnosed in 2016, discussing her life and illness.

Toni Crews sadly died in 2020.Instagram / @blingkofaneye_

They also used AI technology to recreate Toni’s voice, enabling her to narrate excerpts from her diary and text messages.

Professor Smith expressed her deep appreciation for the unique opportunity Toni’s donation provided.She highlighted, “We have been so privileged to explore the journey of cancer through the incredible donation made by Toni.

“As part of this documentary, we were able to invite more than 1,000 students, including nurses, paramedics, and neuroscientists, who wouldn’t normally get to learn about this one-in-a-million cancer.”Toni’s gift of body donation doesn’t end with this documentary either. Her body will be used to educate our medical students and doctors for years to come.”

The documentary ‘My Dead Body’ can be watched on Channel 4 in the UK.