A final beautiful imageThe role of Myriame Marti, a Swiss embalmer (thanatopractor) who trained in Germany in 2017 and is recognised by the Cantonal Public Health Service, is to make an open-coffin tribute possible. Thanatopraxy, or embalming, is the hygiene and conservation of a dead person’s body. Its purpose is to create one final beautiful image of the loved one and give the family more time to mourn. After death, the body changes and the marks of death transform its appearance. Embalming delays this process and preserves the facial features of the deceased. Thanatopraxy treatment may be mandatory for repatriation to certain countries. The non-exhaustive list of these countries can be found on www.thanatorium.ch. In the case of accidents, reconstruction work may also be required. Families have the choice of contacting Myriame Marti directly or through their funeral consultant. Thanatorium is a member of the Swiss Funeral Services Association and therefore complies with the profession’s Code of Honour.