She passed away at the tender age of 30 in August 2020, after a brave battle with this uncommon illness.
She also told her parents about her wish to contribute to cancer research and to ‘educate millions’ by donating her body for scientific study, hoping to keep her memory alive through this act.
This led to the creation of the Channel 4 documentary My Dead Body, which aired for the first time on December 5, 2022.
“[She] told us that was her plan. She’d printed them all out, signed them and asked us to be her witness. To her, it was simple”
“Tick all the boxes on the form; do whatever she can; say yes to everything.
“We discussed it a bit: how they might keep her body for a while, and how she’d said they could take pictures.”
After Toni’s death, Professor Claire Smith, the Head of Anatomy at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), reviewed her medical records.
With their permission, she proceeded with the idea of using Toni’s body for educational purposes, which eventually led to the documentary concept.
In the documentary My Dead Body, Professor Smith conducts a series of educational workshops, each focusing on a different aspect of Toni’s anatomy.
Additionally, the film includes archival recordings of Toni, who first got diagnosed in 2016, discussing her life and illness.
They also used AI technology to recreate Toni’s voice, enabling her to narrate excerpts from her diary and text messages.
She highlighted, “We have been so privileged to explore the journey of cancer through the incredible donation made by Toni.
“Toni’s gift of body donation doesn’t end with this documentary either. Her body will be used to educate our medical students and doctors for years to come.”
The documentary ‘My Dead Body’ can be watched on Channel 4 in the UK.