Information We Are Dying to Know

"A funeral is a significant personal event, usually accompanied by strong emotions. It is also a business transaction, one of the most expensive a family makes. But a funeral catches people by surprise, leaving them vulnerable, emotional, and lacking the time and knowledge to make practical decisions.

"Most funeral directors are honest, but some capitalize on consumers' lack of knowledge. Even well meaning professionals may not inform you of all options."

From FCAP funeral Consumers Alliance of Princeton brochure, "Do You Know You Rights? We can help.

"The greatest obstacle to free choice in making funeral arrangements is the mystery that surrounds the physical and financial facts of death. Planning a funeral should be a simple business transaction, a purchase of services. What makes it different from buying a home or car is the speed with which it must be done, the emotion involved, and the lack of knowledge of the average consumer. A funeral or memorial service should be what you and your family want and can afford.

"The Funeral Consumers Alliance aims to give people the freedom of informed choice through education."

From the website of the national Funeral Consumers Alliance http://www.funerals.org/

Are the analogies to mothers and mothers-to-be considering adoption placement of their child not perfectly clear?  A "significant personal event, usually accompanied by strong emotions" ? Ya' think loosing a child forever qualified?  Caught by surprise - like
an unexpected pregnancy..."vulnerable, emotional, and lacking the time and knowledge to make practical decisions"?

Clearly the level of stress - and the seeming immediacy -  of the prospect of permanently loosing a child is as great as dealing with a loved-one who is dying. Are mothers in crisis not being taken advantage of by seemingly professional business people? 

Funeral service and product consumers have a national a local alliances of volunteers to protect them. Who do mothers is crisis have? Who protects their right to an impartial choice?

And while the simiularities are glaring, there is a major and important difference. In planning a funeral the worst that happens is you are over-charghed or pressured into buying more products or services than you need. In other words, you may spend more than you needed to. A far cry from the loss of a child!