Frank Simmross, Alcor member A-2788, was pronounced clinically dead at 1:33 am on December 19, 2014 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The same day, Simmross, a neurocryopreservation member, became Alcor’s 133rd patient.

Frank Simmross, a Doctor of Pharmacy, was a German National who also had a home in Florida with his wife. He received a late term diagnoses of prostate cancer roughly two years ago and had been receiving treatments in Germany to stave off the continued growth. Despite the treatments, cancer spread to his liver and bone. After being given 6-10 weeks to live by his medical providers, Dr. Simmross and his wife traveled to their home in Florida to prepare to come to Scottsdale and enter into hospice. His deteriorating condition ruled out using a commercial airline, but he and his wife were able to pay for an air ambulance.

Dr. Simmross arrived in Scottsdale on Saturday December 13, 2014, having completed his paperwork but not yet having provided funding. His membership was only finalized once a cashier’s check was received on the 15th, which turned out to be less than four days before clinical death. After being pronounced at 1:33 am on Friday December 19, stabilization and cooling were initiated immediately and Dr. Simmross was brought to Alcor at 2:59 am. CPS continued for another 45 minutes until the cooling rate slowed, indicating that CPS should be discontinued at 19.3°C. A new and faster method of isolating the carotids was used successfully. The perfusion ramp was started at 4:36 am. Flow through the left carotid was weaker than the right, a finding that was easier to make now that the pressure is controlled by the computer. The perfusion ramp was ended at 9:09 am and the cool down program started at 9:27 am.