Posted on 03/03/2005 12:04:12 PM PST by ambrose
Woman testifies that mother's wrongful embalming haunts her
By Jon Burstein
Staff Writer
March 3, 2005
The daughter of a woman embalmed against her wishes testified Wednesday that she's haunted by the thought her mother's remains were used as a final exam by Lynn University funeral services students.
Sarah Anne Sanchez broke down as she described suffering from nightmares where her mother Madeline Post seems angry and confused. Despite a request by Post's husband that her remains be cremated in accordance with her religious beliefs, her body was embalmed at the Boca Raton mortuary school program before it was turned to ash.
"Until the day I die, I will remember what has been done to my mother's body," Sanchez testified in the civil case resulting from the handling of her mother's remains.
Sanchez and her stepfather, Jeffrey Post, are suing Professional Transport Systems Inc., the body-hauling business hired to transport the cancer victim's body, and company owner Joseph Damiano. Damiano had four decades' experience transporting, storing and cremating corpses in Florida.
The Post family alleges that Professional Transport Systems Inc. had been hired in November 2000 to drive Madeline Post's body six miles from a funeral home to a crematory, but instead held on to the body for 18 days, with a detour to the university. The university paid the transport company for use of the body, the family's attorneys argue.
Post's family reached confidential out-of-court settlements with Lynn University and Levitt-Weinstein Funeral Home before the case went before a Broward Circuit Court jury.
Damiano has denied knowing how Post's body ended up at the university, repeatedly saying in sworn statements that his company was "strictly a courier service."
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Let me see if I got this straight. Your mom dies a pretty horrible death from cancer. She makes it very clear she doesn't want to be embalmed but cremated. Sleazy transport company is hired to deliver the body to a crematorium. Company takes an 18 day detour to a mortuary school for a little embalming practice- and gets a few bucks on the side. Transport company owner pulls a Sargent Schultz and says, "I know nothing". I hope they bankrupt these scumbags.
Didnt you read post #3?
I wouldn't mind because - get this - I WOULD BE DEAD and therefore incapable of minding.
New of a pilot and his friend hired to take a "dearly departed's" ashes out over the ocean and dump them. Once airborne in the 172 and over the Atlantic coastline, the guys realized they'd have to open a door to get the ash out. One opened the urn while the pilot crabbed the plane to relieve wind pressure on the door and pushed it open. The turbulent air blew the ashes all over the inside of the plane while the suction kept them from going out the door. They were thoroughly fogged with ash when they came back to the AP.
If Mom and daughter are Jewish, I can see the reason for the upset. However, that's not mentioned in the story.
looks like someone has a bad case of the mondays
"Despite a request by Post's husband that her remains be cremated in accordance with her religious beliefs"
I saw that thread...it is hilarious.
My tagline is from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
The necrophiliacs would benefit....but my guess is that your relatives would be horrified.
I think if her religion says she has to be cremated and it's such a huge deal as to keep her out of Heaven then she is having some much bigger problems right now than what happened to her body after she left it.
It is her family that is upset & they have every right to be.
"If Mom and daughter are Jewish, I can see the reason for the upset. However, that's not mentioned in the story."
No, and I'm not saying she's Jewish. I have no idea, nor do I know about every religion's rules about this. I do know that Moslems also don't allow cremation.
As for a religion requiring cremation, Buddhism and Sikhism require cremation. I could not find any information regarding their views on embalming in a quick search.
Notwithstanding, there could be sects of Christianity which forbid embalming, but require cremation. I don't know. The point is that the story said that this whole thing was religion-based.
Whatever the religion, denomination, or sect, if the woman and her mother had strongly-held religious beliefs that forbid embalming, that is enough to cause considerable distress.
The amount of the settlement is not known here, nor is the motivation, except for the statement about a religious belief.
That is enough.
"It is her family that is upset & they have every right to be."
I agree...but on the same note, her husband says she isn't in Heaven now, so he has bigger things to worry about too.
I'm not saying they shouldn't be upset that her wishes weren't carried out. I'm just saying they may have bigger things to worry about.
Then they have grounds for being upset. They don't have grounds for a lawsuit.
(My standard of proof is somewhat strict.)
I do think funerals are a waste of money, but then, so are most weddings. ;)
If a company does not perform as promised, I will seek reimbursement of what I paid it to perform. I will not sue it for everything it's worth.
"One opened the urn "
This is where he made his mistake. Why open the urn? Just toss the whole thing out the door.
Nah, he is focusing on punishing those who kept her from heaven. Vengence is mine.
Eeewwww, you grossed me out & made me laugh at the same time. Thanks.
All of a sudden the cherubs show up and say I'm sorry but the transport company screwed up and your body was embalmed, you'll have to leave.
Does this make any sense to anyone?
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