WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW: This article contains references to death. Mortuary technician Hayleigh said most people don’t realise what happens to your organs after a post-mortem examination
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW. This article contains references to death which some people might find upsetting.
Mortuary technician Hayleigh has fascinated people by giving a look behind the curtains of her job – and some bits of information have left them really freaked out.
A mortuary technician is the one who prepares, dresses and encoffins someone who has passed away, ensuring they are cared for and presented with dignity and respect. Hayleigh appeared on the Tea at Four podcast to talk about what happens to our bodies when we die.
Hayleigh, who is known as the Mort Tech on TikTok, explained her job involves “embalming, hair and recreational on their face if they’ve had trauma injuries”. In the podcast episode, she discussed everything from the embalming process, which involves preserving a body by delaying the natural effects of death, to the challenges she faces.
While there were many aspects of her job hosts Lauren and Billy were shocked and had no clue about, there was one which had them absolutely gobsmacked – and that was what happens to the organs after the post-mortem process.
Hayleigh explained: “During a post-mortem examination people seem to think that your organs are put back where nature intended. They’re not. They’re all put in a clinical bag back inside your torso, and your chest cavity and your stomach/abdomen, and you’re sutured back up. So your brain’s not in your head.”
The podcast hosts were visibly shocked, and Lauren remarked: “Your brain is in your belly.” And Billy added: “Oh my God, that’s really freaked me out a little bit.” When asked why, Hayleigh explained: “Because when you start cutting and taking things out it’s not gonna go back. You’re just going to wobble. And if things start to purge out… It’s best to keep it all contained.”
And in the comment section people confirmed they had no idea this happened. “I could have lived my whole life perfectly fine not know this information,” said one person. Another commented: “This was information I did not need or want to know. Interesting but now questioning every funeral I’ve been to and if they had a post-mortem or not.”
However, someone else wrote: “Did people seriously think everything was all put back together again?”
Hayleigh previously explained that while she would never share personal duties about the deceased, she has the full support of her colleagues and manager to “educate people people on the amount of genuine care that goes into looking after people’s loved ones”.
