"I overcame my fear of death - by becoming a funeral director"

A woman became a funeral director to overcome her fear of dying and says death has taught her to stop comparing herself to others.

Melissa Schmidt, 34, from Long Island, New York, USA used to get "tunnel vision" at the idea of dying but after a member of her community died tragically she felt a calling to go into the industry.

She started to find death "fascinating" and "intriguing" and went to mortuary school - where she learnt everything from funeral history, anatomy to embalming.

Now she spends her days planning funerals, embalming and preparing bodies as well as cleaning and organising.