IT’S A

MOST PEOPLE DON’T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT DEATH.

IT’S WHY THERE IS A RELUCTANCE TO MAKE FUNERAL PLANS OR WRITE A WILL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE THOSE FOR WHOM DEATH IS A PART OF THE DAILY ROUTINE. THEIR WORK-A-DAY WORLD CENTERS ON DYING AND DEATH. YET THE LIVING REALIZE WITHOUT THEIR INVALUABLE HELP IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE THAT JOURNEY TO THE FINISH.

She Sees Dead People

Wendy Lavezzi, M.D., serves as a forensic consultant for ABC’s legal thriller “How to Get Away With Murder.”

Considering she has performed 3,500 autopsies since 2005, it’s easy to see why her expert opinion is highly valued.

As deputy chief medical examiner for District 5, she has seen it all—from elderly people dying of heart attacks to a small girl strangled by a python. And she relishes the challenge of her job.

“I’m part sleuth and part investigator,” she says. “There’s an investigative component that I really like. You truly have to know about so many medical conditions to perform a successful autopsy.”

While the thought of performing endless autopsies seems like a gruesome task to many, Wendy enjoys helping to bring closure to grieving families. And sometimes, she even saves lives.

“I examine dead people to help living people. Sometimes I may find a new com- municable disease. In one instance, I examined a young girl who had blockages in her artery. I told her family members, and when they got checked it was discovered they had blockages, as well. Again, I help living people by looking at dead people.”

How long an autopsy takes depends on the cause of death. An autopsy on a heart attack victim may take only one hour, while a homicide case may take all day. During an autopsy, all organs are surgically removed and examined for presence of injuries or diseases.

For Wendy, it’s vitally important to be detached.

“I cannot allow myself to become emotionally involved because then I’m not thinking about what I need to do to get evidence that may convict a criminal.

What I am during an autopsy is scientifically involved. I have to have a clear head and gather all the information I need to accurately determine the cause of death.”