Arica Gaitan, a licensed embalmer in the Department of Surgery’s Clinical Anatomy Program at Stanford School of Medicine, plays a key role in preparing donor bodies for medical education and research. As the lead of the Anatomical Gift Program, Gaitan is responsible for preserving bodies donated to science so that future doctors can learn essential skills.
Gaitan uses specific chemical formulas and storage techniques to ensure that donor bodies are suitable for various types of training. Some bodies are embalmed for long-term use in dissection and surgical practice, while others remain unembalmed or “fresh” to better replicate lifelike conditions during procedures such as laparoscopic or intubation training.
In addition to her technical responsibilities, Gaitan works closely with potential donors and their families. She answers questions from those interested in donating their bodies to science and guides them through the enrollment process. After a donor passes away, she coordinates with their families to facilitate the donation.
Gaitan’s commitment to her work stems from personal experience. At age 12, she survived a car accident that killed her father and younger sister. Seeing her sibling unrecognizable in her casket left a lasting impact on her. “I had nightmares,” Gaitan said. “The embalmer probably did the best they could, but in that moment, I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want other families to ever feel this way.’”
After the accident, Gaitan began helping with her relatives’ mortuary transport business as a teenager. By 16, she was driving for the business and meeting grieving families. “I learned that helping other people helped me through my grief,” she said. “It made me feel less alone.”
Determined to help others more directly, Gaitan attended mortuary school while apprenticing at a funeral home in California’s Central Valley before joining another funeral home in San Jose.
Attention to detail is central to her approach: “There are little things I do that others may not take the time to do, because it might help the family see their loved one again as themselves,” she said. Families’ reactions have reinforced her dedication: Hearing them say “They look just like themselves” confirmed why she chose this profession.
Since 2023, Gaitan has worked with manager Julia Miranda and colleague Kim Steffan to organize an annual memorial service honoring those who donated their bodies to Stanford Medicine. The event brings together students, staff, and donor families at Stanford Memorial Church each November. For many families, it provides closure; for students, it offers an opportunity to show respect for donors.
“This project is my pride and joy,” Gaitan said. “It warms my heart to meet all the families I have been communicating with while coordinating their loved one’s donation. I can’t tell you how many hugs I got from families who remembered me.”
The department also hopes to expand its art installation called “Renewal,” located above clinical anatomy labs as a space for reflection by donor families.
Looking ahead, the Anatomical Gift Program team wants donors to share more about themselves with students—through recorded messages or visits from loved ones—and plans a reflection wall honoring every donor.
While Gaitan’s career began out of personal tragedy, she says working alongside colleagues who treat each donor with care gives meaning to her work: She knows firsthand how important compassion can be.
An event commemorating body donations has recently opened attendance beyond faculty, staff, and students by including donors’ loved ones.
