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Toni Crews

Jo and Jason Crews

Toni Crews, whose body donation to Brighton and Sussex Medical School led to a groundbreaking documentary, will be conferred a posthumous honorary doctorate at the University of Sussex’s Summer Graduation 2026.

“She would have loved the attention,” agree Jo and Jason Crews, reflecting on the legacy left by their eldest daughter.

Toni Crews was just 30 when she died of cancer in 2020. A mum of two, she spent the last few months of her life raising awareness of her illness on social media. 

But it was her decision to leave her body to science, ticking the box for ‘public display’ and waiving her anonymity, that ensured her story would reach millions.

In 2022 Channel Four broadcast 141 Productions’ documentary My Dead Body, which charted the journey of Toni’s rare cancer through anatomy workshops with medical and allied health students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) - the first medical school in the UK to obtain a public display licence.

Using words from her diaries and video footage, the documentary also revealed her thoughts and feelings, from her initial diagnosis through to surgery and her decision to make her body available to educate others after her death.

When aired, the groundbreaking programme – which has reached an audience of over two million –  was widely praised for the deep humanity and sensitivity shown towards Toni and her family. It was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award and the director, Sophie Robinson, was shortlisted for a BAFTA Television Craft award.

For Jo and Jason, it was a precious experience that, with the support of Sophie and Professor Claire Smith, Head of Anatomy at BSMS, helped them through their grief.

Speaking from the family home in Deal, Kent, Jason remembers: “Everyone was so respectful and caring, and they involved us throughout. Claire and Sophie talked us through every stage of making the programme. If we had been at all unhappy about it, even at the later stages, they said it would have been pulled.”

Cancer awareness

Toni’s cancer symptoms started in 2016 with headaches, blurry vision and a swelling in her right eyelid. She was diagnosed with a tumour in her lacrimal (tear) gland, an incredibly rare site for cancer to start. She had her right eyeball and eyelid removed. Tragically, her symptoms returned in 2018. Despite further surgery and treatment, the cancer proved incurable.

Nevertheless, Toni remained positive, promoting cancer awareness online, posting details about her symptoms and modelling her own colourful eye patches.

She was also helping to prepare her family for life without her, creating photobooks and diaries and talking about what was happening to her with her children, Faith and Charlie, who were aged seven and nine when she died. 

Jo remembers when Toni asked her to witness the forms about her decision to leave her body to science and how determined she had been.

“I think her being so young, it was a way of being able to carry on doing something, even when she wasn't here, rather than just things coming to a stop.”

Toni died in the house where Jo and Jason live, surrounded by her family. Jo said they recognised it was important for Toni’s children to be able to say goodbye to their mum.

“My dad died in hospital when I was 12 and I didn’t see him for the last week of his life. I really regret that. We wanted the children to have closure.”

While too young at the time to understand fully what would happen, the children were told their mum was going to help train doctors as a “silent teacher” – a term often given to body donors.

"happy, proud tears"

Life since Toni’s death has now become “normal but different”, says Jo. Faith has continued to live with them while Charlie lives with his dad. But Toni remains a big presence in their lives.

Jason adds: “Although she loved attention, she wouldn't have dreamed she would have had a documentary made about her. She thought she might be on display in a museum, or something like that, and that's what the ‘public display’ meant.”

They both describe the excitement of going to the television awards in London, and thinking about how much Toni would have enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the stars.

When Jo was informed that the University of Sussex wanted to award Toni with a posthumous honorary degree, she was “very emotional, very shocked” and shed “happy, proud tears”.

The honour is all the more poignant because Toni had enrolled on a university course to study criminology and forensic science shortly before she became too ill to begin it.

“She would have graduated by now,” reflects Jo.

 But both Jo and Jason are aware that Toni’s contribution to research and education is incalculable.

Jason says: “We’re still in touch with the production team and with Claire, who keeps us informed about how many people Toni has helped.  It’s really helped us to know she didn’t die in vain.”

Claire Smith says: “Within Anatomy, we can confidently say that Toni has educated several thousands of students with us in the laboratory. This includes teaching medical, biomedical, bio-engineers, physiotherapy, nursing, midwifery, sports therapy, osteopathic students, and other groups who attend for health information. 

“At times, this teaching is about a specific organ, or area of the human body in its healthy state. At other times, it is about cancer and the effect on the body. 

“We care for many ’Silent Teachers’ but never have we had such a connection with the donor’s family. This has enabled us to deliver teaching in such a unique and powerful way. We are very proud and grateful to Toni and her family.”