Some people always know what they want to do when they grow up, and Laura Eaves was no exception - even if her choice of profession is unconventional.
She always knew she wanted to work with the dead, and decided to become a funeral embalmer after school.
However, she was warned the job was "too dark" for a young woman such as herself, and was advised against the unique career by family and friends.
Now aged 43, at the time she decided to teach English in Shanghai instead, and lived there for more than ten years, reports Manchester Evening News.
It was only when her grandmother died on her wedding day that Laura realised she needed to undertake her true vocation.
She said: “As an English teacher, there was only so far my career could go, and soon enough I’d reached the glass ceiling.
“The funeral directors at the time were fantastic in speeding up the process of organising the funeral so my husband and I could attend and bid our farewell before flying back to China as a newly-wed couple.
“Their professionalism meant so much to me, I knew I had to change my career and follow my dream. Sure, teaching English was helpful and fulfilling, but nothing could match the satisfaction of helping others during the worst days of their lives.”
Laura, from Chorley, was motivated by her renewed passion for funeralcare, and quit her job to begin studying an online course with the National Association of Funeral Directors for a year.
She applied for a role in Shanghai, but was unsuccessful.
When returning to the UK, she fulfilled her dream of gaining her embalming qualifications, now working as an embalmer at the Co-op Funeralcare branch in Salford.
Embalmers preserve and prepare bodies for burial or cremation.
During the surgical portion of embalming process, the blood is removed from the body through the veins and replaced with formaldehyde-based chemicals through the arteries.
The embalming solution may also contain glutaraldehyde, methanol, ethanol, phenol, water and dyes.
Laura said: "It’s an absolute privilege to be able to help those who are no longer able to help themselves.
“I also love being able to care for someone who has passed away and restore them to their former self, in a way that would help their family and loved ones say their final goodbyes.
“I find a great sense of warmth knowing that a family can come in and have a restful last impression of their loved one and that this will be the image staying with them.
“I often think it must be mind-boggling to others how I ended up in funeralcare, but for me, once my grandmother had died, I just knew this was my true calling.
“I allowed myself to pursue an old passion for looking after families during their time of bereavement and soon realised, it was not the living left behind that I wanted to take care of, but the deceased.”
While some may find the unique career scary, Laura sees it as a challenge. “Embalming is a great privilege for me and I enjoy the whole process,” she added.
“Unexpected deaths can sometimes be daunting, for example if the deceased has been involved in a motor vehicle accident – however, I do see these kinds of situations as a challenge and it’s my job to bring them back to their former self.
“Dying can be the worst, most isolating experience of your life, and I knew the second I joined Co-op that I would ultimately only want to be an advocate for the deceased. It’s a privilege to make sure they are taken care of the way they deserve to be for one last time.
“Don’t let anyone tell you funeralcare is a dark, macabre career path to go down. It cannot be further from the truth - sure, we do look after the deceased, but our job is a celebration of life, through and through. It’s the best, most rewarding job you can have.”
