Latest news with #morgue
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Time is running out for Clare McCann to cryogenically preserve her son who died by suicide last week
Time is running out for Clare McCann. The devastated mother desperately trying to keep the lifeless body of her 13-year-old boy preserved so he can 'come back to life' and see the world is not such a 'cruel, horrible place' - and people really do love him. With just 48 hours left to raise $300,000 for cryopreservation, McCann is acutely aware she might miss the crucial time window, and the thought of what to do next is debilitating. 'I've been sitting there with him in the morgue just kissing him, realistically from Thursday I know I should be putting him in a fully synthetic sleeping bad and putting ice packs surrounding him at the minimum to have any kind of chance but I just don't want to disturb him if this is all for nothing,' McCann told Watch McCann's heartbreaking plea in the video player above 'I mean, I want him back, but at the same time, the ice will disfigure him so if I can't use the cryopreservation technology how do I do that to my baby? I can't do that to my beautiful baby. 'If this doesn't work, if I can't raise the money to do this then I can't even think about what's next, a cemetery … I can't even.' McCann was gutted to find her only child Atreyu had died by suicide on Friday after several months of relentless bullying at high school. She said his tormentors held his head under water at school camp, taunted him with name calling, drew pictures on his arms and generally 'made him miserable and withdrawn' to the point he had stayed home from school for the last four weeks. McCann says she wishes she had never sent him to high school. 'Bullies need to be stopped, the system needs to be fixed, this cruel behaviour that goes on it has to stop and schools have to take it seriously and until they do, every child should be home-schooled,' she said. 'I feel so guilty I sent him. Adults need to stand up and fix the system. But how can I fight to save other kids if I can't even save my own child. I need to save him right now that's all I can think about.' McCann has raised almost $12,000 of the $300,000 she needs to have a shot at preserving Atreyu's body. The little boy, named after the hero in The Neverending Story, had talked about the prospect of 'being frozen' when he dies and coming back in the afterlife with his mum. 'We talked about swimming in the ocean, then we joked, no we might get eaten by sharks, so then we thought about coming back as birds and flying together. 'The thought of being able to bring him back gives me something to hang on to. Without that I literally have nothing.' As the hours ticked by this week, and hopes faded for a millionaire with an interest in science coming forward to help fund the cryopreservation, McCann sat with her boy and read him his favourite book. 'I brought him The Neverending story today to read to him in the morgue because we never finished it,' she said. 'It's so sad because the last time we read it was probably two, three weeks ago and we got up to a horrible bit and that's where it was left. So I thought 'I need to take you out of that bit' so I read to him past that bit and beyond. Now I just have to do everything I can to give him a chance to come back.' McCann is hurt by the horrible comments on social media about her plight. 'People are making comments saying I'm entitled, I'm an actress, I'm worth $2 million. I shake my head, I've been a volunteer for the last 10 years, and home-schooling my son. I've never even made like half a million in my life. 'If people don't want to donate or don't agree with what I'm doing then scroll on, why do they have to be so horrible?' Comments like 'what if your son wakes up and you've already passed?' are also hurtful. 'If my son's in cryo, I'm going into cryo. Do you think I'm just gonna let him wake up by himself to his misery? No. And even if I don't make it, I've got friends who've said they'll commit and they'll do it. 'I want him to wake up and see the world can be more kind, and he can get the proper help he needs in a mental health care facility. He can have a second chance.' Founder of Southern Cryonics Peter Tsolakides told time was fast running out for McCann but he was doing everything possible to help. 'We have already lost valuable time so the conditions are not optimal for success for Clare's boy, but no one ever knows, we will help her in whatever way we can. All the members here feel so sorry for what she's gone through,' Mr Tsolakides said. Southern Cryonics is a not-for-profit enterprise and the first cryonics storage facility in the southern hemisphere. Based in Holbrook, it currently houses one body, although more than 40 people have already signed up to go through the process when they die. 'What normally happens is we would have come into contact with the person before death, a medical team would visit the hospital and there is monitoring by the emergency response team until legal death is pronounced,' Mr Tsolakides said. 'It's a complicated process but already, with the time delay, we have missed important steps in cooling the body at the pace we need to keep the brain at optimal health. 'What this process is really about is keeping the brain healthy so that one day when science and medicine catches up, the body is ready for what's next,' he said. Agreeing it is still unknown whether anyone preserved this way can ever be revived, Mr Tsolakides said everyone who has signed up to have their body suspended knows science is a long way behind but it's about 'giving yourself the best chance'.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Fox News
Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager pleads guilty to swiping, selling stolen body parts
A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager recently entered a plea in relation to an alleged scheme to steal and sell donated body parts. Cedric Lodge, 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains on Wednesday before Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after "consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the federal sentencing guidelines," according to the release. Officials said Lodge admitted that from 2018 through at least March 2020 he participated in the sale and interstate transport of human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School morgue in Massachusetts. Lodge, then-manager of the Harvard Medical School Morgue, removed human remains, including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads and other parts from donated cadavers after they had been used for research and teaching purposes, but before they could be disposed of according to the anatomical gift donation agreement between the donor and the school, according to the release. He took the remains to his home in New Hampshire without the permission or knowledge of his employer, the donors or donors' families. After he and his wife sold the remains, they would ship the remains to the buyers in other states or the buyer would take possession directly and transport the remains themselves, according to the release. Remains stolen and sold by Lodge for a profit were sent to locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. "Cedric Lodge's criminal actions were morally reprehensible and a disgraceful betrayal of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to Harvard Medical School's Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research," Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "While Lodge has agreed to plead guilty and taken responsibility for his crimes, this likely provides little consolation to the families impacted," Daley added. "We continue to express our deep compassion to all those affected." Several defendants charged in related cases pleaded guilty, receiving sentences of about a year in prison. Denise Lodge and Joshua Taylor are still awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department in Pennsylvania. Harvard University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Washington Post
An ex-Harvard Medical School morgue manager admits his role in the theft of human remains
SCRANTON, Pa. — A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager has admitted his role in the theft and sale of human body parts — including hands, feet and heads. Cedric Lodge, 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Pennsylvania to interstate transport of stolen human remains, federal prosecutors said. He could face up to 10 years in prison.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Associated Press
An ex-Harvard Medical School morgue manager admits his role in the theft of human remains
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager has admitted his role in the theft and sale of human body parts — including hands, feet and heads. Cedric Lodge, 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Pennsylvania to interstate transport of stolen human remains, federal prosecutors said. He could face up to 10 years in prison. The thefts from the morgue in Boston occurred from 2018 through at least March 2020, prosecutors said. Authorities have said Lodge, his wife and others were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard and a mortuary in Arkansas. Denise Lodge and several other defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the scheme. Prosecutors have said she negotiated online sales of several items, including two dozen hands, two feet, nine spines, portions of skulls, five dissected human faces and two dissected heads. Authorities have said the dissected portions of cadavers donated to the school were taken without the school's knowledge or permission. Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor's family or buried in a cemetery.
The Review Geek
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Secrets We Keep – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review
The Video Thread Episode 5 of Secrets We Keep starts with Mike at the hotel by himself. Oscar is texting Viggo about posting a new video, and Katarina visits Cecilie while crying. Viggo hides as he listens to Katarina, begging Cecilie to help her identify Ruby's body. Katarina is frantic, claiming she has never seen a dead body and doesn't want to. Rasmus is out of town, so Katarina can only ask Cecilie. Cecilie agrees to meet with the police and identify the body. On her way out, Viggo asks to speak to her, but she brushes him away. She promises to talk when she returns from the morgue. Once Cecilie arrives at the morgue, she positively identifies the body. She also recants her statement and tells Achia that she has no idea where Mike was that night. She took a sleeping pill and didn't hear him come home. Achia calls Mike multiple times but gets only his voicemail. Cecilie returns home and informs Angel of Ruby's death. Angel is shattered and calls her friends. The news of Ruby's death becomes a crime sensation given that Rasmus and Katarina were her employers. In the chaos, Cecilie forgets to pick up Viggo from school. Viggo calls his dad, who picks him up and drops him off at the house. Cecilie confronts Mike again and demands to know if he is hiding anything. Seeing Ruby's bloated body has scared her straight. Viggo listens as his parents fight. Mike maintains he is innocent and is not the father of Ruby's child. However, Cecilie doesn't believe him and sends him away. Later that night, Katarina drops by to apologise and check on Cecilie. She gives Cecilie a pill to calm her down and assures her that Mike is innocent. Cecilie is heavily affected by Ruby's death, and Katarina asks her to be strong for the kids. On the other side of the house, Viggo tries to talk to Angel, but she sends him away. She is busy planning Ruby's memorial service. The next day, Aicha ambushes Mike in his office and demands to talk to him. Mike offers to prove his innocence by showing them his office CCTV footage. Aicha asks him to provide a DNA sample to exonerate him fully. At home, Angel gets another call from her sister asking for more money. Angel lashes out at her and later apologises. At the end of the day, Mike drops by the house and shows Cecilie the results of his DNA test. Fortunately, Mike is not the father of Ruby's child. He starts going off at Cecilie for not trusting him. Cecilie fights back and asks him to stop acting like a victim. At school, Viggo refuses to put his phone away. The teacher notices he is watching one of the secret videos the boys have been sharing. He immediately calls Cecilie to the school and shows her the video. The teacher thought the video was of Angel, but it is a video of Ruby. Someone secretly filmed it in her room while she was dressing after a shower. The teacher tells her more about the video threads. He also calls the other parents into a group meeting. In the meantime, Ruby's autopsy doesn't rule out homicide or suicide. Carl thinks she committed suicide and wants Aicha to leave it at that. However, Aicha refuses to give up. She drops by Rasmus's house and notifies him about the body release. Ruby's family wants to bury her in the Philippines, and Rasmus offers to help. He asks Aicha to talk to the press and clear his name. Aicha refuses, and Rasmus offers to do a DNA test to clear his name. Back at school, the parents' meeting of the four kids involved in the video scandal starts. Katarina is dismissive until Oscar is mentioned as the main perpetrator. The parents call for Oscar's expulsion, and Katarina loses it. She goes off at the other parents and punches the teacher on her way out. After the meeting, Katarina tries to approach Cecilie at the parking lot. Cecilie calls her out for her behaviour and asks to put a stop to their sons' friendship. Speaking of their sons, the scene cuts to Oscar chasing Viggo in the backyard. Oscar tackles Viggo and chokes him, threatening to kill him if he says anything about the video. Katarina arrives first and picks Oscar. Cecilie finds Viggo in the backyard, looking scared. She tries to talk to him. Viggo mentions the video Oscar showed him and the threat he made. Unfortunately, he refuses to talk about the video's content. Later that night, Cecilie cuddles Oscar to sleep. After he falls asleep, she heads to the living room. She is startled when someone throws a stone through the window. The Episode Review Our suspicion was right; Oscar is into some dark things, and Katarina is in denial. The other parents need to take accountability as well. This is a serious offence, and the boys need to understand this. At the same time, it is a good thing that Viggo found a way to get the adults' attention. He has been asking to talk, and they have been brushing him off. It was sad that this was the only way he could get their attention. The DNA test cleared Mike, but it is unclear if his marriage will survive this. Cecilie even brought up his past and accused him of hurting their neighbour's au pair. They no longer trust each other. With Rasmus being confident enough to provide his DNA, he is most likely innocent. This leaves Oscar as the main suspect. The question is, did Katarina know what he did to Ruby? The way she is defending him is a bit suspicious.
