Vaccine Safety & Mortality Observations
🎙 Guest: Richard Hirschman · 📅 Aired June 26, 2026 · ⏱ 55 min episode
▶ Listen now — What the Dead Tell Us: a Mortician’s Observations
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Episode summary
Richard Hirschman, a licensed funeral director and embalmer from Alabama, joins Dr. Susan to share his firsthand observations of an unusual pattern that began appearing in his embalming work starting in 2021. Since that year, he has observed white, rubbery, fibrous structures in the veins and arteries of roughly 40% of the bodies he has embalmed — structures he had never encountered in the previous two decades of his career. Richard also discusses a sharp increase in fetal demises he observed during this same period, and the response he received when he brought these findings to public attention.
Key takeaways
- Beginning in 2021, Richard began finding white, rubbery fibrous structures in the blood vessels of those he embalmed — something he had not seen in 20+ years of practice before that year.
- He observed these unusual structures in approximately 40% of bodies embalmed since 2021.
- Richard also observed a significant increase in fetal demises during the same period — more than he had seen in the previous twenty years combined.
- When he brought his observations forward publicly, mainstream media characterized his findings as misinformation.
- Richard stresses that his role is to report what he observes firsthand — he is not a scientist or physician, but a licensed professional with two decades of direct experience.
Richard Hirschman
Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer, Alabama
Richard Hirschman is a licensed funeral director and embalmer based in Alabama who has worked in the profession since 2001, entering the trade following the September 11 tragedy. With over two decades of hands-on experience, he gained widespread public attention in early 2022 after sharing observations of unusual white, fibrous, rubber-like structures found in the blood vessels of those he embalmed — beginning in 2021. His observations were featured in the documentary Died Suddenly and have been discussed by medical professionals including Dr. Ryan Cole and Dr. Peter McCullough. Richard has emphasized that his role is to faithfully report what he observes as a licensed professional, and to call for further scientific investigation into these findings.
What Richard observed
- Prior to 2021, Richard had never encountered white, rubbery, fibrous structures in the veins or arteries of those he embalmed during more than 20 years in the profession.
- Beginning in 2021, these structures began appearing in roughly 40% of the bodies he worked on.
- Unlike normal post-mortem blood clots (which are soft and dark), these structures are described as firm, white, and rubbery — resembling a cast of the vascular system.
- He has noted similar findings reported by other embalmers and funeral directors in different U.S. states and internationally.
- His observations have since been discussed by pathologists and physicians including researchers connected to Children’s Health Defense and others calling for independent investigation.
Fetal demise observations
During the same period, Richard reports observing a notable increase in fetal demise cases — more than he had seen in the preceding twenty years of practice. He has spoken about this observation publicly alongside his clot findings, and has called for the medical and scientific community to take these patterns seriously rather than dismiss them.
Media response
When Richard came forward with his observations publicly in early 2022, mainstream media outlets characterized his findings as misinformation. He has consistently responded by noting that he is not making scientific claims — he is reporting observations from his direct professional experience — and that the appropriate response would be for pathologists and researchers to investigate these patterns through formal study rather than discredit the observer.
Note: This summary reflects Richard Hirschman’s personal observations and statements as presented in the interview.
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