American Myth? or food for thought
I "heard" of a case where some toes were released to the patient.  The
patient went home and buried them in his back yard. Several years
later, the patient moved away and sold the house. The new owners
decided to put in a flower bed in the back yard and you guessed it, dug
up the toe bones which led to an extensive police investigation into the
"discovery of partial human remains".  

We release identifiable body "parts" to funeral homes only.  :-)   tlb