The Ribble Valley woman who dedicates her life to death

Lianna, who lives in the Ribble Valley, had never been to a funeral, but she just knew it was their job to help grieving families and support them through their sadness and loss, and that seemed like a kind thing to do.

When she was 15, her mum, in a bid to put her off, called the local funeral parlour and arranged a visit. She was taken straight into the mortuary where she saw a dead body for the first time. She was fascinated as she watched the embalming process, asking loads of questions and watching closely.

By the end of the day, she was gloved up and assisting and any efforts by her mum to discourage her had failed miserably!

In 1983, at the age of 19, she qualified as the youngest female funeral director and embalmer in the country. Two years later, just after her 21st birthday, she opened her own practice, Champ Funeral Services in Clayton-Le-Moors.

It took some time to establish herself with suppliers and contacts, but within a year her business was flourishing. She worked hard to change things, to make funerals more personal, to get to know the family and understand the character of the person they had lost.

Losing her mum at the age of 80 in August 2011, had a huge impact on Lianna. She was devastated and knew she needed help, but didn’t know who to turn to. She was meant to be the expert in "death", but in her time of need she felt lost.

That’s why, two months later, she started training as a grief recovery specialist, hoping to learn more about how to help others including herself. The more she learnt about grief, the more she realised there isn’t a framework.

She said: "Grief is a period of temporary insanity, and while we want to push it away, we have to let ourselves fall into it, wallow and feel pain. Crying is part of the healing process, reducing stress and depression, and often we just need someone to listen."

This experience gave Lianna the courage to write her book, "How to Grieve Like A Champ", which is a practical and comforting guide to dealing with death.

Lianna added: "It is understood, roughly 600,000 people die in the UK each year – young old, out of the blue or following long illnesses – each death leaves behind family and friends to grieve and cope with loss. As much a part of life as birth, we give far less attention to dealing with the impact of death. This book aims to help. It presents essential information and inspirational words to support and guide the reader through the challenges of bereavement in easily digestible chunks."

Published by Reddoor, How to Grieve Like A Champ is available on Amazon for £9.99. For more info about Lianna, see www.champfunerals.com