Preparing Severely Decomposed Bodies for a Viewing

HARD. CORE. EMBALMERS.

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Mortician: Caitlin Doughty

[leia_cakes]

The diamonds on Monica’s lashes.... iconic

[Vermilionskie]

My grandpapa died three weeks ago. I miss him like crazy and am still mourning. But while preparing for the viewing I went and told the funeral director I wanted to help prepare him. I was able to shave him and fix his hair the way he always liked it. While doing that I spoke to him and sang his favorite church songs to him. It gave me a bit of peace to know that was able to do that one last thing for him. So thank you Caitlin there's no way I'd have felt comfortable enough to do that let alone ask to do it before I began following your channel. ♡


**edit** Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left comments. I read them and although they made me cry I do so very much appreciate them. ♡

[Vapormoon]

LOL all the MLM huns are catering to the wrong audience, they need to start advertising their essential oils to funeral homes!

[eileensatter]

This is definitely NOT a dark art, but a gift to the grieving.

[doloresgonzalez]

A little story time about skin slip: I had a full term stillborn baby during a c section. When he was presented to me when I woke up, he was swaddled. He had probably already died a few days prior to the c section so he may have had some decomposition. All I saw was his beautiful face and gorgeous head full of jet black hair.

At his funeral, the director asked us for a blanket. He said the baby’s hands didn’t look good. When we gave him the blanket he literally ran up the aisle to tuck the baby in to his casket before we could approach and see him.

When I got to him, I realized that I had never seen his hands. Maybe there’s something internal that makes a mother inspect her baby’s hands and feet to count the fingers and toes, I don’t know. But it was important to me that I see his hands. So I uncovered him and saw the sweetest tiny fingers, his perfect little fingernails.

He had some of that skin slip you talked about, the skin was peeling and different colors but it was my baby’s hands, and that’s all I cared about.

He would have been 20 this month.

[usagilamperouge]

One of the things that I love about this channel is how human is. We're talking about dead bodies, decomposing bodies, but it never loses the humanity... She knows that the body in front of her was someone's family and treats it with so much respect.
Also how she takes care of the viewers too putting the warnings before the triggers. I'm learning about something like this without risks of accidental trauma.

Excellent work!

[cvideo]

"Giving people options is giving people power." This is a lovely sentiment Caitlin and Monica. Thank you both!

[allypost]

I would call them angel artisans. I lost a good friend to murder. She was 24, she was murdered by her husband. I was quite fearful of the viewing/wake. She looked so very beautiful, like a sleeping angel, and not at all like my awful expectations. God bless everyone in this occupation. You are appreciated beyond measure.

[pastapanda]

My cousin and childhood best friend died a few weeks ago. He passed away in a horrific car accident. He went over the bridge and into the river and was there for two days before we found him. He had an autopsy done before the funeral. The morticians did a fantastic job on him. Despite being crushed in a high speed car accident, being dead in the water for two days, and having an autopsy done, he looked perfect. These people are angels

[justajumpingypsygirl]

If my body is decomposed enough to have maggots inside, bury me as quickly as possible in a closed decomposable coffin. You have permission to sing "the worms crawl in, the world's crawl out, the worms play pinochle on her snout." When drinking after the funeral.

[emosmurf]

while my father was dying from alzheimer's, his prostate cancer accelerated things, and it was shocking what his 300lb gorilla frame looked like at about 80lbs. but he was clean, shaved, and looked really well in spite of it. and i had the decency to tell the home's people that. the relief and thanks on their faces was hard to describe. your talents don't go unappreciated, all.

[emsmomma]

When my mom was diagnosed with AML, she was given 7 wks to live. She said she was grateful to be able to pick out her own casket, flowers, and other funeral arrangements. One thing she also did, was to ask me to do her makeup. Now I know my experience isn’t about a severely decomposed body, but when my mom died, I felt that it was an honor to do this final thing for her…to prepare her hair and to put her makeup on. This was a very interesting video! Thanks for putting this out there…you ladies are awesome!

[PJ-shnh]

My high school girlfriend had one mission in life, to become a Mortician. She was fascinated by every facet of the work, and so genuinely caring of the decedent. She passed away from a malignant brain tumor in her first year of Uni (we all knew it was coming and just continued life with her until she couldn't). She never got to realize her dream, your channel/work, makes me remember her so fondly. She would have LOVED your channel and would instantly have wanted to friends with you, she had a passion for this in much the way you seem to and I have a feeling she would've become a professional much like yourself, educating and sharing with everyone in an interesting way. Fascinating content, thank you.

[beautywearsboots]

When my grandfather died, he hadn't looked like himself in months, so we initially decided on a closed casket. Many thanks to the embalmer who, like Monica, told us they could restore him and then let us make our final decision, because he actually looked healthier at his wake than he had in years!

[tomkins]

I'd be really interested to know how embalmers and morticians manage their mental health, when dealing with such traumatic cases.

[krish]

The discoloration is so true. My dad had been brought straight from death to the funeral home. The mortician asked if we wanted to see my dad before he had any makeup on after being embalmed. He was all purple and green. Something I wasn’t prepared for. Thank you for your channel. It has helped me gain some closure and awareness on my father’s death. I’m not afraid to think of death anymore

[deecee.]

My uncle had oral cancer and the embalmer restored his face, allowing him to look as he did before he was sick. What they do for families is fantastic work.

[amuckamuckamuck]

One thing struck me so hard when watching this video: love. Subjects like this are so often labeled as grim or macabre. But at the heart of it is love, and a desire to help the bereaved through something profound.

[c.l.]

Shoutout to the camera person. They're doing their best to keep both women in frame and I see those efforts 😂

[that_teegor]

My grandfather died across the world this week, and I can't go to the funeral or really be involved. Still, your videos have still helped me deal with his death, somewhat. Thanks Caitlin.