Widower slept next to his wife's body for six days after she died because he didn't want her

A heartbroken widower slept next to his wife's dead body for six days because he didn't want her body to be taken to a mortuary. Russell Davison, 50, was devastated when his wife Wendy, died three years after being given 6 months to live by doctors. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer not long after the couple's joint 40th birthday party in November 2006. Wendy was determined to die at home, and after she passed away last month, Russell didn't want her body to be taken into a hospital mortuary. After sleeping next to his wife in their bedroom at their Derby home, Russell wants to convince others that staying close to a loved one's dead body is nothing to be afraid of. Russell, from ran a property company with his wife, said: 'Wendy died very peacefully, fully sedated, in no pain in mine and Dylan's arms with our ever faithful dog Elvis smuggled up right next to her too. 'Death seems to be such a taboo subject in our society, no one seems to want to talk about it. 'For a long time I have been determined to have Wendy at home when she died.' 'I did not want her in the mortuary or handed over to a funeral director, I wanted us to take care of her ourselves at our family home, have her in our bedroom so I could sleep in the same room. 'Having Wendy's body here and being able to sit with her all day, have her friends and family come to sit with her, chat with her, chat about her and light candles and incense on her alter proved to be such a beautiful and comforting experience for me, the boys and all that are taking part. When she was given six months to live, the couple decided to start 'living in the now' and bought a caravan in which they travelled around Europe. Their travels came to an end last September when they had to return home due to Wendy’s pain being too much to bear. She had been in and out of the Macmillan Ward at the Royal Derby Hospital, but remained determined to die at home.