A family from Wythenshawe, Manchester, has spoken of their 'traumatising' experience after being presented with the body of a complete stranger during a visit to a funeral parlour to see their late mother. Michelle Maher, 42, recounted screaming in shock upon realising the person laid out was not her mother, Rita, during the visit on Saturday.
Ms Maher attended Arthur Gresty Funeral Homes in Altrincham with her sister Angela, step-father Phil, and nephew. She described initially believing the body was her mother, despite noticing discrepancies, and even touching the leg, saying, 'mum I'm here now.' Her step-father was reportedly about to kiss the deceased before the family recognised the mistake. The realisation dawned on them when Ms Maher's sister observed the stranger had significantly darker hair than their mother.
Upon alerting staff, the family was initially assured it was their mother. However, after their insistence, two bosses from the funeral home reportedly came down to apologise, stating there was 'nothing they could do but say sorry.' Ms Maher expressed disbelief at how such a significant error could occur, highlighting the deep emotional impact it has had on her and her family.
Arthur Gresty Funeral Homes has issued a public apology for the 'distressing incident' and confirmed they are conducting a thorough investigation. A spokesperson for the company stated that initial findings suggest the incident resulted from 'human error' and that they have established procedures for identification. They have also contacted the family of the other deceased individual involved.
The family has since contacted both the police and coroners regarding the incident. Ms Maher lamented that their final goodbye visit to her mother was '100% spoilt' by the experience, as the image of the stranger remains vivid in their minds. She also expressed concern that had the funeral taken place sooner under different circumstances, their mother could have been 'completely lost' to them.
Ms Maher also voiced a desire to connect with the family of the deceased woman they were shown, wishing to convey that they treated her with respect during the mistaken viewing, as if she were their own mother, and promptly left the room upon discovering the error.