Photo: Man Sleeps With Wife’s Corpse For Six Days, Says it Relieves Grief

A grieving husband who slept next to his
wife's dead body in their bedroom for six days says he couldn't bear to see her taken off to a mortuary in a body bag.

Leasing agent Russell Davison's wife Wendy
died at their home in Derby, England , after
a 10 - year battle with cervical cancer.
He said he was determined to keep her at
home with their four children and not hand
her over to a funeral director.

The dad now wants to reassure others that
staying close to a loved one's dead body is
nothing to be scared of.

Russell said he washed and dressed Wendy’s body and placed it in a coffin which he called a “ cocoon ” – in the couple ’ s bedroom.

And Russell insists it should be “ the way we
treat our dead , ” saying it allowed him and the boys to come to terms with their devastating loss.

Russell said: “ Wendy died very peacefully ,
fully sedated, in no pain in mine and Dylan's arms with our ever faithful dog Elvis snuggled up right next to her too.
“She looked absolutely beautiful , just like she always did in life: no effort , no make - up , just radiant beauty.

“ We have been fooled by TV and films into
thinking there is something to be scared about with dead bodies – there is not, I can assure you . ”

Wendy , 50 , was diagnosed with cervical
cancer in 2006 – just after the couple ’ s joint 40th birthday – and was told three years ago she had six months to live.
But she shunned chemotherapy and
radiotherapy and embraced “ natural health, ” Russell said .

The couple bought a caravan and traveled
around Europe , but in September last year
returned to Britain as Wendy ’ s pain became unbearable .

But she was determined to die at home and
was nursed by Russell and the boys until her death on April 21.

Russell , also 50 , said : “ For a long time I have been determined to have Wendy at home when she died .

“I did not want her in the mortuary or handed over to a funeral director, I wanted us to take care of her ourselves at our family home , and have her in our bedroom so I could sleep in the same room . ”

He said keeping Wendy at home was like “ an emotional decompression chamber , ” which helped the family come to terms with her death while she was still there.
Russell said: “ The idea of her being taken
away in a plastic body bag hours after death is so alien to us all now we really don't think we could have taken it . ”

New York Post