Boston Herald
July 6 th, 2002
A day after the death of baseball great Ted Williams, a dispute has already arisen over what to do with his body, as Williams? estranged daughter says her half-brother plans to freeze the Hall of Famer?s body ? possibly in hopes of selling his DNA in the future for cloning purposes.
Bobby Jo Williams Ferrell, Ted Williams?s oldest child, told the Boston Globe and Boston Herald that such a decision would go against Williams? wishes to be cremated.
?I?ve been quiet. I didn?t want to make waves. I want everybody to know now what?s been going on,? Ferrell told the Herald. ?I?m going to try to get a restraining order.?
Ferrell says her half-brother John Henry Williams plans to cryogenically freeze their father?s body and preserve his DNA. She said John Henry first brought up cryogenics after Williams? open-heart surgery in 2001.
?He said the way they?re going with medical science and DNA, we could freeze dad?s body, or we can freeze his head,? Ferrell said. ?He said, we could sell the DNA.
?I told him (Dad?s) against cryogenics. It is very immoral. I said I was against it and I would stand against it.?
The Herald, citing a source close to Ted Williams, confirmed that John Henry is interested in cryogenics and has discussed plans for preserving his father?s remains.
John Henry Williams did not return messages from the Associated Press or either newspaper on Saturday.
Ted Williams? attorney Eric Abel refused to confirm or deny any talk of cryogenics. He called the idea of selling DNA or cloning an ?absurd proposition.?
?The Williams family members are in a period of great grieving,? Abel said. ?It is unfortunate that Barbara Joyce Ferrell has taken this moment to grab headlines.?
Ferrell told the Globe that John Henry had approached her last year about possibly freezing the slugger?s body at the Arizona-based Alcor Life Extension Foundation, which has frozen 49 bodies. Ferrell?s husband, Mark, said John Henry said that Alcor would freeze Williams? head for around $50,000.
Ferrell said she learned from a friend in the hospital where Williams died that John Henry Williams had gone ahead with the freezing plan.
?She told me my father died, and they were freezing him and pumping him full of blood thinners. I knew right away what it was,? Ferrell told the Globe. ?He?s just trying to make money off Daddy.?
?Some people believe in this,? Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer for Advanced Cell Technology, a pioneer cloning company in Worcester told the Globe. ?You can freeze tissues and organs, but we don?t have the technology to thaw those organs out without severe damage.
The hope is by some day in the future they will have the technology.
?It?s not something I would personally endorse, but to each his own,? said Lanza.
Abel said no funeral services have been planned for Williams, who died Friday at the age of 83.
July 6 th, 2002
A day after the death of baseball great Ted Williams, a dispute has already arisen over what to do with his body, as Williams? estranged daughter says her half-brother plans to freeze the Hall of Famer?s body ? possibly in hopes of selling his DNA in the future for cloning purposes.
Bobby Jo Williams Ferrell, Ted Williams?s oldest child, told the Boston Globe and Boston Herald that such a decision would go against Williams? wishes to be cremated.
?I?ve been quiet. I didn?t want to make waves. I want everybody to know now what?s been going on,? Ferrell told the Herald. ?I?m going to try to get a restraining order.?
Ferrell says her half-brother John Henry Williams plans to cryogenically freeze their father?s body and preserve his DNA. She said John Henry first brought up cryogenics after Williams? open-heart surgery in 2001.
?He said the way they?re going with medical science and DNA, we could freeze dad?s body, or we can freeze his head,? Ferrell said. ?He said, we could sell the DNA.
?I told him (Dad?s) against cryogenics. It is very immoral. I said I was against it and I would stand against it.?
The Herald, citing a source close to Ted Williams, confirmed that John Henry is interested in cryogenics and has discussed plans for preserving his father?s remains.
John Henry Williams did not return messages from the Associated Press or either newspaper on Saturday.
Ted Williams? attorney Eric Abel refused to confirm or deny any talk of cryogenics. He called the idea of selling DNA or cloning an ?absurd proposition.?
?The Williams family members are in a period of great grieving,? Abel said. ?It is unfortunate that Barbara Joyce Ferrell has taken this moment to grab headlines.?
Ferrell told the Globe that John Henry had approached her last year about possibly freezing the slugger?s body at the Arizona-based Alcor Life Extension Foundation, which has frozen 49 bodies. Ferrell?s husband, Mark, said John Henry said that Alcor would freeze Williams? head for around $50,000.
Ferrell said she learned from a friend in the hospital where Williams died that John Henry Williams had gone ahead with the freezing plan.
?She told me my father died, and they were freezing him and pumping him full of blood thinners. I knew right away what it was,? Ferrell told the Globe. ?He?s just trying to make money off Daddy.?
?Some people believe in this,? Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer for Advanced Cell Technology, a pioneer cloning company in Worcester told the Globe. ?You can freeze tissues and organs, but we don?t have the technology to thaw those organs out without severe damage.
The hope is by some day in the future they will have the technology.
?It?s not something I would personally endorse, but to each his own,? said Lanza.
Abel said no funeral services have been planned for Williams, who died Friday at the age of 83.
