From Trygve Bauge
Life-Extension Systems
Pob. 59, Hovseter,
N-0705, Oslo, Norway
Ph (47)22-14-80-78
trygveb@powertech.no
To Peter Gamble, the Cemeteries and Crematoria Section
of the Victorian Department of Human Services (Australia).
To Peter,
Thanks for the e-mail.
I share your impression that Elizabeth Kostadinova and her mother and sister
are not in agreement as to what to do,
and I too am concerned that Elizabeth might not afford to have a facility
set up in Norway for the long run storage of her father.
At the same time she seems quite dedicated to do something to better preserve her father for posterity.
I have thus suggested that she consider asking her mother for permission to
preserve some tissue samples, in case cloning of DNA fragments from dead
tissue samples ever becomes possible, legal and affordable.
Is it the mother (the wife of the deceased) that has the say in the matter,
or do Elizabeth and her sister also have to approve of any action taken on
their father's corpse?
Maybe all that is needed is for the mother and the other sister to sign that
they donate the body or the tissue samples to Elizabeth, to be preserved,
stored or used at her discretion?
If Elizabeth and her mother and sister agree to preserve some tissue &/or
bloood samples,
they could easily inquire at the hospital that treated the father.
If tissue or blood samples still exist these could easily be frozen and
stored at the hospital or at various facilities in the United States. Cost
of storage should not exceed USD 1,000, plus shipping in dry ice.
If however, no tissue or blood sample exist, and they agree to do so, they
could possibly apply to have the body exhumed, so that 10 to 20 small tissue
samples could be taken from the dead body's leg or thigh (skin & muscle).
Each incission would be a few millimeter in diameter and could easily be
done by an undertaker using a small scalpel. Whereupon the body could be
burried again.
These small samples could then be put on 20 small cryogenic vials. (the
smallest possible, hardly much larger than the tissue samples). The vials
could then be frozen using water ice, and dry ice. And then be shipped in
dry ice to an existing storage facility in the United States.
Sincerely,
Trygve Bauge
Ps. If Elizabeth and her mother and sister agree upon storing a few cell
samples or for that matter the whole body, then I will let you know. Then
they will have to prove that they can afford it, and then we have to set up,
negotiate and sign a contract. I will not accept the body here in Norway
without a signed contract and full prepaid financing of what it would cost
to set up a suitable bio bank facility here in Norway.
I am glad to hear that the body was embalmed.
If the Kostadinovas can agree upon what to do, and can afford to do what
they then agree upon, it might be of value to have the body exhumed and have
the body &/or the tissue samples stored on dry ice in Melbourne as soon as
possible thereafter so to slow down any further deterioration. That would
give us the necessasry time to set up everything to receive him &/or the
cell samples elsewhere.