Last act of altruism: Josette Agius donated her body to the University of Malta for medical research.

When Josette Agius’s funeral cortege leaves the Santa Venera parish church this afternoon it will not head to a cemetery for a burial but to the University of Malta.

As she wished, Josette’s body is being given to the anatomy department for teaching and research purposes.

George Agius yesterday described his daughter’s decision to bequeath her body to the university as her “last act of altruism”.

Josette, 49, died last week after relapsing with a liver condition. She had entered into a private contract with the university five years ago to donate her body just before undergoing a liver transplant in the UK. The operation was successful and Josette was monitored for the next five years.

But last month she visited hospital for a regular check up when doctors gave her the bad news. She never left hospital and a month later Josette passed away.

Mr Agius only got to know recently about his daughter’s wish. “It was hard dealing with the process but I had to respect my daughter’s wish and ensure it was fulfilled.” Describing it as “a noble gesture”, Mr Agius said that even in death his daughter wanted to continue being of service to others.

Josette was a former teacher at Guardian Angel School in Ħamrun. She worked with disabled children who, according to her father, she considered to be her own. Her selfless commitment to help others was evident when she took her younger brother Christopher under her wing 18 years ago after their mother’s death.

“I was 21 when our mother died and Josette was my bedrock at the time,” Christopher recalled. Josette had confided her decision to donate her body for re-search to her aunt, Helen Camilleri.

“Before going to the UK five years ago she felt her organs would be of no use to others by the time of death and so wanted to be of service by donating her body to science,” Ms Camilleri said.

Like Josette’s father, Ms Camilleri had also been apprehensive about the donation process but after meeting Pierre Schembri Wismayer, senior lecturer at the anatomy department, she understood the beauty of her niece’s gesture.

Mural Josette worked on for a child care centre at Air Malta that never opened.

Dr Schembri Wismayer said the department received around 15 such donations a year but most of them were from British expats.

“Josette made a noble gesture because through such acts of generosity we are one of a few medical schools in Europe to teach students on bodies rather than computer-generated simulations,” he said.

Bodies are used for learning purposes and also provide research opportunities, he added.

Dr Schembri Wismayer explained that after the death, the body is embalmed and returned to the family to hold a Mass præsente cadavere. “We have changed our procedure to satisfy the wishes of most Maltese who prefer to have a religious function with the body present,” Dr Schembri Wismayer said.

On Facebook, tributes poured in for Josette’s exemplary behaviour.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo wrote on his wall: “I salute Josette Agius, who in death remained generous and of service to others like she was in life.”

Friends also welcomed Josette’s decision to donate her body for research.

Laura Lumachi Hunton wrote: “What an extraordinary woman she was, thinking of speeding up a cure for the illness by offering her body to science. RIP, Josette, you will be remembered.”

The funeral leaves the University of Malta at 1.45pm for the St Venera parish church where Mass præsente cadavere will be celebrated at 2.30pm.

The body will be bequeathed back to the University of Malta after the service.

How to donate your remains

• Write to the anatomy department at the University of Malta informing them of your wish.

• Include the wish in your will.

• The university encourages you to inform the family and doctors about the decision because the procedure to preserve the body cannot wait until the will is opened, possibly months after the person’s death.

• The university adopts the practice of following the wishes of family members irrespective of what the will says.

• You can donate your body even after donating organs to other patients.

• Contact the Anatomy Department at the University of Malta or phone on 2131 9527.