#NewProfilePic for April 2025
01 April 2025 - Every month, a different member of staff features as our #NewProfilePic on social media.
Our staff profile for April 2025 features Cerys Hagon, a Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist at King’s College Hospital. Cerys has been working at King’s for three years, caring for deceased patients in the mortuary. She also performs postmortems alongside a pathologist and facilitates visits for families to see their loved ones.
What drew you to this field?
“I have always had an interest in medicine and patient care, but I was also interested in how doctors were able to find a cause of death from looking at how illnesses presented in someone’s anatomy, so when I found this job role, I knew it was a perfect fit for me.”
What aspects of your role are most meaningful to you and the families you support?
“Being able to put families at ease and showing them that the people looking after their loved ones are kind and caring and that they do not need to worry as their family member or friend is in safe hands. Death is a scary subject for many people, and mortuaries and the work we do is often shrouded in mystery. Being able to show a friendly face, answer any questions, comfort the bereaved and reassure them that they are not alone in their grief is the most meaningful part of my job.”
Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had while caring for a patient or their family?
“I was in a visit with the daughter of a patient in our care who said her mum’s last wish was to have her braids taken out and to have her natural hair for her funeral. We spent that visit unplaiting her hair and talking about her mum, and about how grateful she was that I could help her, which made me appreciate how even the small things can mean the world to our families.”
How do you provide support to families during their most difficult times?
“We provide a visiting service that allows families to schedule visits with their loved ones. This not only helps to put families at ease but also gives us the opportunity to meet them and put a friendly face to the team caring for their relative. We also have links with charitable organisations such as the Good Grief charity, which help families find support for their specific needs. We have a close working relationship with the King’s Chaplaincy team who offer support and perform blessings to comfort the families.”
Is there something unique about your work at King’s that the public might not know?
“That mortuaries are not scary. Our mortuary is bright, clean and often smells like our cleaning product which is bubble gum scented. We have fairy lights in our mortuary year-round and always have a Christmas cookout where staff make food and invite other teams to our staff room to celebrate another year of working together.”
Is anything else you’d like us to know?
“Death often feels very isolating, but it’s surprising how many people are going through grief. Talking to friends and family about your struggles and even reaching out to a professional is not embarrassing or admitting defeat, it is often a great sign of strength.”