Mum forced to defend decision to share photo of deceased son
An Australian influencer has been forced to defend her decision to share a photo of her deceased baby online after receiving backlash from her followers.
Veruca Salt posted the picture of her late baby son, Cash, as her lay embalmed in his coffin to her Instagram stories on Tuesday.
The post sparked heated debate online, with some defending Veruca's decision, while others found the photo to be too confronting to be shared to the internet.
The Gold Coast influencer has since spoken her truth and addressed the torrent of hate she received in the wake of the post.
'Ya'll come onto a grieving mothers Instagram and be shocked when you see that there is actually a dead baby. Genuine question, are you stupid? Are you slow?' she said in a video posted to Instagram stories.
'You want me to explain in detail the horrible things that have happened. How did he die? What happened with your baby daddy? . . . .But then you bitch and moan when you actually see it.
'He's embalmed in a coffin and he looks beautiful, so you can suck it.'
Many of the people who spoke out against Veruca took issue with the photo because they claim they were not presented with a content warning before the image appeared on their screen.
A sensitive content warning has since been added to the photo, warning users the image may be upsetting. Veruca's post addressing the backlash. Credit: Instagram
In a follow-up Instagram story, Veruca wrote an emotional response to air her experience as a grieving mother.
'I'm triggered every time I hear a mum complain about her baby being sick, pretending her kid having a cold is similar to them dying,' she wrote.
'I'm triggered at every pregnancy announcement, every birth video, every video of an older sibling meeting the new baby at the hospital, every video of a baby with their mum.
'My son's death isn't about you.'
Cash was just six weeks old when he tragically died of sudden infant death syndrome in February last year.
PerthNow has contacted Veruca for comment.
Lifeline: 13 11 14.
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