X-Message-Number: 26809
From: 
Subject: Reply to Rudi Hoffman
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 08:32:00 GMT

Rudi Hoffman wrote: 
 
> Thank you for above information on CI's 69th patient.

   Thanks, Rudi. More details will follow (but not necessarily on CryoNet).

> Regarding funding and suspension issues, may I respectfully ask a question?
>  
> If a CI member is unfunded, what are the mechanics of funding at  
> deanimation?  Does CI wait to confirm funding before suspension protocols?

   CI will not accept a patient before funding is secured. But remember that
CI does not provide Standby or Transport as part of its price. Standby or
Transport must be obtained from a third party -- in that past a funeral
director, but I am hoping that in the future more of our Members will make
arrangements with Suspended Animation. In this particular case, nursing 
staff, the funeral director and the Member's son all provided some
stabilization (packing in ice). This protocol left much to be desired, but 
the funeral director and nursing staff were paid for their duties 
independently of any money to be paid for CI. Considering that the Member
was in a nursing home, we should have been better prepared her sudden
deanimation than we were. CI cannot take action without being paid, but
we could have done more and better in assisting the funeral director and
Member's son to provide better stabilization. 


> Based on some conversations you and I have had, I know this is challenge  you

> are working on.  But it would seem to me that someone who has some idea  they
> are terminal would get their funding "act" together PRIOR to actual  
> pronouncement.  

    I am trying to motivate our Members in this direction, but short of 
bashing them on the head, I am not sure how I can better motivate them. I do 
work on the problem. No matter what I do I will continue to feel that
it is not enough. No matter what I do there will be plenty of people
bashing me on the head for not doing enough.  

> But we know how it is human nature to procrastinate, and takes tremendous  
> rational discipline to solidify all cryonics arrangements early, as most of  
> those reading this message have done.

   Are you sure that you know CryoNet readership that well? 

> My point in asking is not to ask embarrassing questions in a public  forum.  
> But to provide you a platform to further motivate those "putative  signups" 

> with CI who do NOT have their funding in place.  (Irrespective of  whether we

> call them "cryonauts, cryoneers, unfunded cryonicists, or just plain  
half-butt
> cryonicists!:))
>  
> Especially if they are constantly and forcefully reminded that the quality  

> and timing of their suspension is at risk, perhaps more will get their funding
> issue handled early, when it not a time sensitive crisis.

   Although the quality of cryopreservation in this case was superior to any
we have done before, that statement only refers to what was done after the

patient arrived in Detroit. In this case the Member's son was able to get 
funding
together in a jiffy, but what if the Member had died on a weekend or holiday? 
A funeral director was near at hand who had handled a case for us in 2004, but 

normally we will not even look for a funeral director through our Inman network
until we have the cryopreservation money in hand. I totally agree that I would 

prefer for more of our Members to have funding in place. And I also want our 
Members 
to be better prepared to assure that better stabilization is given. 

   I am very pleased with the quality of our new cryostats. I am please with 
the enormous progress that CI has made in the last year towards implementing
a vitrification protocol and cooling protocol. Although we have arranged for
the possibility of better stabilization for CI Patients by contracting with
Suspended Animation, there has thus far been little interest from CI Members
in this option. Much more need to be done to improve local response and 
stabilization options for all of our Members. 

> On a separate posting, I will be announcing an enormous NEW funding option,  

> suitable for both CI and ALCOR.  This will hopefully open a new era of  super
> reliable and hassle free cryonic funding.  
>  
> It is exciting enough, and has enough details, that it deserves its own  
> dedicated posting.
>  

> This posting is about encouraging ANYONE with serious cryonics intentions  to
> get PROACTIVE and SERIOUS about putting SOLID funding in place.  And  doing 

> this BEFORE it becomes a life threatening, desperate, time sensitive  crisis.

   I look forward to your announcement and I do greatly hope that it helps more
cryonicists get funded. 
 
            -- Ben Best, President, Cryonics
Institute

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