A Modern Frankenstein I DRQ·W BelieYe iW!
Can it be done? The creation of a modern Frankenstein! If Sergio
Canavero, an Italian doctor is right and gets his way, the first human
head transplant may occur soon. Dr. Canavero wants to take a
health\ human head and connect it to a different person¶s body. He
has already found a patient. His name is Valery Spiridonov; he is a 30- year-old Russian citizen who is in a wheelchair and suffering from a
disease that is destroying his muscles and slowing killing him.
Spiridonov has volunteered for this high-risk surgery. According to Dr. Canavero, the operation will take 36 hours, 100 surgeons, and will
need to occur in a very cold room. The operation room will need to be almost freezing cold in order to keep the tissues and organs of the
bodies from dying.
Many medical experts maintain that a head transplant is not possible
at this point in time. They believe the procedure is too complex, and
the technology doesn¶t e[ist and may not exist for another 20 years.
One of the biggest challenges with such a procedure is the ability of
doctors being able to fuse the spinal cord together. The spinal cord is our nervous system that connects all parts of the body to the brain,
allowing us to move. If the technology existed to successfully connect a spinal cord, then doctors would be able to heal millions of people
that are paralyzed.
Regardless, Dr. Canavero is convinced that he can overcome these challenges and points to an experimental head transplant of an animal as proof. In the 1970s, a scientist named Robert J. White transplanted a monke\¶s head at a U. S. medical center. The monkey survived for ten days before dying. Despite the skepticism from the medical community, Dr. Canavero plans to move forward with the head transplant and has scheduled the surgery in December 2017.

Answer each question with a complete sentence after reading the health prompt. (9 Questions)

1. What does Dr. Canavero what to do?
2. Who is the patient that has volunteered for the first human head transplant? 3. Why do you think that Valery Spiridonov has volunteered for the transplant? 4. How long will the head transplant take?
5. Why does the surgery need to be done in a freezing cold room?
6. Why do many medical experts believe that a head transplant is impossible? 7. What is the biggest challenge that Dr. Canavero faces with this surgery? 8. What is a spinal cord?
9. What does Dr. Canavero point to as proof that the challenges can be overcome?