Embrace the joys and beauty of nature around us, love deeply, tell your loved ones always how much they mean to you, care for the children and the elderly, forgive, live your life to the fullest so that when you leave this earth, there are no regrets.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Donna Francart.
Donna Francart is a former deputy coroner with 8 and a half years of experience and over 2000 death cases. She has shared her innermost thoughts and experiences with the dead, the dying and the spirits that attached to her along the way.
What started out as a diary and her way of debriefing, quickly took on a heartbeat of its own.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Absolutely! I was born and raised in the Midwest. An American Father and Irish Mother, one sister and one brother.
Spending every other summer in Dublin, as a child, opened my eyes to the fact that this world is made up of all different backgrounds but we all have a common denominator and that is that we only have one life to live.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Not so much a book but life’s experiences that changed the course of my life.
Loaded guns pointed at me, a murdered Uncle, a failed marriage which all took me down a path of wanting to help others that were dealing with trauma and loss.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
A particular death case that I was on, decedent was on the floor of her home, loved ones stood off to the side watching every move that we made. The funeral director, an officer and myself needed to pick up the body and place her on the gurney and do so as carefully as we could, in the most dignified way.
The officer lifted her legs, the funeral director stood at the head of the body and with legs spread, was going to lift her by the shoulders. The only other spot for me to go, or so I thought, was crouched down behind the funeral director, between his legs in order to hold her head and prevent it from slamming back down on the kitchen floor, when she was lifted. At that moment, the director turned towards me and whispered “You’re lucky I didn’t have tacos and beans for lunch.” (referring to flatulence, passing gas, farting in my face”) Of course I couldn’t laugh but I was so embarrassed!
My Take Away- Never crouch between anyone’s legs! Also, never show emotion when working an investigation, in front of witnesses. Always be respectful, focused and always treat every death and decedent with the utmost dignity and respect.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
I do hope that my book will resonate with the world to not fear death. Death is part of life and none of us are going to avoid it. We may leave our bodies but our energy and souls will continue on. I also hope that they will walk away with a keener awareness of the beauty of life and to never take for granted every breath that they take because we never know when our expiration date is. Embrace the joys and beauty of nature around us, love deeply, tell your loved ones always how much they mean to you, care for the children and the elderly, forgive, live your life to the fullest so that when you leave this earth, there are no regrets.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
I do believe that each one in my book, were some of my most interesting cases.
One, in particular, was a car fatality that involved a male. It was a horrific accident and he was ejected out of the vehicle ending up on the side of a road. After the investigation , his spirit attached to me and followed me home. One day as I stood at the stove making dinner, my son walked into the kitchen and commented on the word HI that was scratched on my back. Taking a picture of this with his phone and showing me. A medium who connects with spirits told me that the spirit that did this to me, was the man from the fatality that lay on the side of the road. He told him to go to the light and leave me alone.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
This all started as a diary of sorts. A way for me to debrief in the comfort of my own home. I needed a way to process and compartmentalize all of the horrific scenes that were overtaking my thoughts and the heaviness of grief in my heart. All of the years of writing down on paper, my thoughts and emotions, I always tried to walk away with a lesson learned from each case. Something positive. The spirits that attached to me, opened my eyes to the fact that there is more after life when we die. Caring for my dying Mother, in the last 5 months of her life, opened my eyes to the beauty and peace of dying. The loved ones that had already passed away and were there to greet her and help her transition to wherever we go , when we die.
I used to fear death but being surrounded by death for so many years, opened my eyes to just how much more there is after death and it no longer frightened me. I hope that my stories and experiences can bring comfort to people and perhaps help them to not fear what we are all going to go through. Loss. Death of loved ones and eventually our own death.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
My Mom. With my heart full of compassion and not fearing death. My gratitude for life and deepest love for her, I was able to know how to care for her, be there for her and hold her hand, comfort her and calm her fears, until she took her last breath, here, on this earth. It was my honor and greatest gift to be witness to such an emotional but beautiful experience.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Regular debriefing for those that deal with death and trauma in order to process and cope
- Perhaps more opportunities or resources to have discussions in the community on death and dying
- More awareness for communities to offer counseling for public servants that deal with constant emotional and psychological trauma. Outlets.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is someone that is focused on the betterment of mankind, community, environment, lives.
Their selfless acts without consideration of personal gain.
Example: I believe, for example, myself, as a public servant that represented a county handling death investigations from unexpected and suspicious deaths. We were the voice of the dead when they could no longer speak.
As a leader, our community depended on us to investigate and discover if there was any wrongdoing that caused someone’s death at the hands of another.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- There is no debriefing offered. This is why I started writing.
- Don’t take things to heart. I am very empathetic and their sadness weighed on my heart
- Find an outlet. Surrounded by death, you need upbeat and happy outlets as well. I worked 7 days a week for several years.
- Don’t be afraid of the spirits. I had many spirits attach to me and follow me home.
- These cases will haunt your thoughts. The cases may be done but the visual scenes will remain forever, and the sadness chiseled away at your heart.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Focus on the present. We have a date of birth and date of death. Our lives are a blank canvas. Paint that canvas of life and fill in the blanks between the DOB and the DOD.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. ?
I would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with Steve Perry, the original singer of the band Journey. Simply because his music was very healing and calming for me. I spent many, many, many nights with earbuds in, alone, singing and dancing to the sound of his soothing voice, calming the turbulence in my mind and heart as I processed the death cases that I had just returned home from. One song in particular, “Most of ALL”
To the ones who’ve lost their most of all…” I know that he had lost his loved one and was in deep grief.
Just as I felt with the loss of my Mom and so many families that I dealt with that lost “their most of all” I would thank him for his music and words that comforted me in the darkness of my room and thoughts.
Otherwise, to have a private breakfast or lunch with a medium, such as John Edward, to see if my loved ones would come through or perhaps one of the many decedents that I took care of, to maybe tell me hopefully that they were happy with the way I took care of them and their loved ones, would be very comforting.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The book is on Amazon-I’VE SEEN DEAD PEOPLE-Diary of a Deputy Coroner. Hardcover, paperback & ereader.
Jongleur Books.
Facebook- two groups — I’VE SEEN DEAD PEOPLE-Diary of a Deputy Coroner- with updates on the status of the book and the screenplay adaption to a feature film.
Also, the group -Delightful Deputy Donna-crazy Coroner.
Instagram — Deputy Donna
Twitter — Deputy Donna-crazy Coroner
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: Why & How Author Donna Francart Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.