I can well understand why Breda did not wish to enter that
morgue, and I am glad that she did not do so. I can
understand how appalled Frances was, and how Bill could be
so physically ill. Of all the experiences of that first week, and
of the entire grieving process, this was the most painful one
for me. I watch the Silent Witness drama on television quite
frequently, and most episodes include morgue scenes. Pulling
back the sheet to reveal the naked corpse is just a moment of
drama, which most people barely notice. But for me this now
evokes memories of that terrible day. I was led into the
morgue in Cashel by the late Inspector Ned Lafferty. Ned,
whom I got to know much later when I was the principal of
Our Lady’s Secondary School, showed himself to be a warm,
generous and caring person that day.
Extract from When a Child Dies. Footsteps of a Grieving Family. Published by Veritas.
Tags: bereavement, death of a child, grief