More than 40 members of the Duong family in the southern province ofDong Thap 's Hoa An Commune have registered to donate their bodies toscience after death.
While donating organs toscientific research is common around the world, it's still relativelyunusual in Vietnam , where most people balk at donating their bodiesto research due to beliefs of an afterlife.
DuongVan Tai said his family members had decided to donate their bodies toscience by following the example of his father, Duong Tu Tin, who wasthe first person in the commune to have donated his body to scientificworks.
Tai said his father was an active man who kept the habit of travelling by bike everyday until his death at the age of 80.
"One day, he suddenly expressed his intention to donate his body toscientific research and asked the rest of the family to find therelevant application form," said Tai.
"I thoughtit's just for fun but he said he wanted to be useful to society not onlywhen he was alive, but also after his death."
Tai said his father died in 2007 after a heart attack.
"His body was sent to HCM City Medicine and Pharmacy Universityimmediately," said Tai, adding that many families in the area wereagainst their family members donating body parts to scientific research.
"But in our commune it was supported by localauthorities and residents, so it's easy for me to turn my father's wishinto reality," he said.
His mother, Phan Thi Man,died last month. She had previously wanted to be buried in the gardenwhere her children and grandchildren could visit and burn incense. Butshe changed her mind after her husband's death.
Do Thanh Nhan, who led the university's group to receive the bodies ofTin and Man, said the donation had helped his university's studentsbetter understand techniques and theories they learned from books.
"We are really moved and fired by the sacrifice of such people. Theyplay an important role in contributing to the development of thecountry's medical sector," said Nhan.
"After completing the research on the bodies, we incinerate them and send the ashes to the family or a pagoda."
Tai said he worshipped his parents with their portraits on the altar.He said he encouraged his family members and friends to donate theirbodies to scientific research because it played an important role inmedical development.-VNA