Chen’s empathy proves a comfort for families
Print Edition
the message was: “Chen, an elder passed away in Xuhang Town. Please arrange the mourning hall as soon as possible.”
Chen’s reply: “I will start the preparation right away, please sent condolences to the relatives of the deceased.”
Chen Qinjuan is an employee of Jiading District Mortuary House. She followed in her father’s footsteps to take over the mortician position when she was 18 and has been working there for 33 years.
She loves her job and makes an effort to make mortuary house services as compassionate as possible to relatives of the deceased.
Though she regarded herself as a brave woman before she took up the job, her first view of a dead body still came as a shock. She thought of quitting the job after having nightmares for a long time.
But she persisted and after several months, those feelings faded away.
Shortly after Chen started working at the mortuary house, she gave birth to her first child.
When the child was just four days old, he suffered from a high fever. After being brought back from the hospital, his little body became colder and colder and sending the infant back to hospital failed to save his life. Her son’s death came as a heavy blow.
It also made her question her work at the mortuary house.
“At that time, I just wanted to get away from these negative things but I could not break myself from the special love for the meaning of mortician work,” Chen said. After a period of rest, Chen returned to her position as a mortician.
Because of this tragic experience, she can fully empathize with relatives in her work.
Sometimes that understanding becomes too much to bear.
Recently, a 19-year-old serviceman died of heat stroke and his family members had asked to hold a memorial service in his hometown. Chen talked to the serviceman’s family and quickly prepared the memorial service hall in Jiading.
“We believe not many people can withstand the pain of losing their young child,” Chen said after the memorial service, when the dead man’s mother held her hands to express her thanks.
Chen’s mobile phone is always ringing. “Chen’s mobile phone has become around the clock service hotline since March, 2011,” a colleague said.
Co-workers said that when elderly people passed away during the night, relatives would immediately call mortician. On these occasions, Chen will go to the homes of the deceased on her own.
At around midnight on one day last summer, a senior passed away in Anting Town and family members demanded immediate preparing their home and the coffin.
Chen got up quickly and drove to the mortuary house to take the coffin and other memorial site ornaments to the deceased one’s home. With the help of the senior’s family members, Chen put the body into the coffin.
By the time Chen got home, it was already daybreak. Afterward, Chen learned that the family were poor and she helped them to apply for help with the cost.
Being called out in the middle of the night has become common for Chen but sometimes her son protests at the disruption these phone calls caused. He told her she should switch off her phone when she went to bed, something that Chen, because of her dedication to the job, will never do.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
