‘Forgot’ his brain? Woman sues Island Health and BC Coroners for releasing dad’s body without brain

A Victoria woman is suing Island Health and BC’s Coroner’s Service (BCCS) for negligence after finding out her dad had been cremated with a body part missing.

Mandy Large says her dad Phillip Peter Billy’s brain wasn’t put back in his body after an autopsy, and had been “forgotten” in a fridge for nearly two years after his death.

“It’s very disturbing,” said Large. “It was just like my dad had died all over again, but this was much more horrific.”

Watch the full report below:

Large says her dad was a forest worker, who survived Christie Residential School on Meares Island off Tofino.

“He was a very tall, gentle guy,” said Large through tears. “He was a tall gentle giant.”

He passed away on Sept. 27, 2022, the coroner’s finding the cause was “acute bronchopneumonia and concomitant severe coronary artery disease.”

During the autopsy, Large says his brain was removed for examination. The family requested a second autopsy of his brain, then in April 2022, Bill’s body was transported from Nanaimo General Hospital to Royal Jubilee Hospital without his brain.

Large says BCCS called her to let her know in May 2022, that her dad’s brain and body had been reunited. Bill’s body was released from Royal Jubilee and was cremated.

Nearly two years later, June 25, 2024, BCCS first reached out to Large, that a “very serious incident” was brought to their attention.

“In September I found out from the coroner, they had forgotten his brain here at Royal Jubilee Hospital, in a jar,” said Large. “The only reason why they found it was because they were cleaning out the fridge.”

In a follow up to their phone call notifying Large, a BC Coroner wrote an email saying that “Royal Jubilee staff were the ones that misplaced the brain, and told them it was with the body, when it was not.”

Since then Large says the agencies chalk it up to a miscommunication.

Large says the cultural ramifications are profound. The missing body part means her dad, a Nuu-chah-nulth man from the Ehattesaht First Nation in Zeballos, is not whole in the spirit world.

“To me, my dad just didn’t have a brain. He wasn’t complete, he wasn’t whole, when he passed away,” said Large. “It was very devastating. I went into a state of nervous shock then a deep depression during the winter, and it’s not been resolved, it’s still affecting me and my brother who I’m raising.”

As a result, Large is suing BCCS for bad faith and negligence and Island Health for breaching their duty of care. Large says this has caused emotional injury and lost income, for which she is seeking financial compensation.

Because the matter is before the courts, BCCS and Island Health couldn’t provide comment.

Beyond money, Large is hoping for change so this never happens again.

“I hope new processes are put in place and they’re followed,” said Large.

After the litigation, she plans to spread her dad’s ashes, all of them, over his traditional Nuu-chah-nulth Territory.