The morning sun starts to break the early mist; drops gently fall from frosted wire fences. Rays of golden light make their way across the fields, growing longer and reaching further towards the house as the sun gets higher.

Inside, gathered solemnly around a bed, a family are united and pay respects as the life of one slips further from their grasp. It’s been a long night of loving and tender farewells and a quiet respect from people beyond the family circle who come to visit. As the early morning draws closer, the last faint breaths of life are taken and expelled and one passes gracefully into another world.

But, it’s not 1879, its 0850 am in Melbourne in 2011 and a 37 year old young woman has just been struck by a tram in peak hour. She has fallen under the tram, suffering terrible abdominal and head injuries and the tram needs to be jacked up in order to free her.

Paramedics at the scene work on her in front of pedestrians and peak hour traffic. Police, tram workers and the media watch as she is freed and attempts to resuscitate her are made. Various IV drips are deployed, her clothes are cut from her exposing her breasts, and CPR is applied, all the while, Melbourne continues to go to work.

Her final dignity in death, as she lay bare chested on the cold roadway, is to have a sheet pulled up over her still body, where she lay for some time after as investigators went about their task of finding answers.

Dignity in Death? Not really. That will come later at her funeral when family and friends gather to mourn her loss and celebrate a life cut short. The tram stop will never be the same, and for some, they may never use it again, having been witness to a shocking and tragic death.

In reality, very few of us may enjoy a dignified death. As media, we don’t film dignified deaths. Only once did I think I had, but in retrospect, by my mere presence, I violated that dignity. A farmer, who suffered great trauma from a fall, was taken off life support. I was filming a documentary on an Emergency Ward and we were given permission by the family to document his accident and the family’s grief and plight at the decision to terminate.

I filmed with great consideration for the family, but being in the room alone was difficult. It was over very quickly and little more was said that night about it. I filmed two more after that, attesting to a long and challenging night. I saw great care and compassion from hospital staff who endure this suffering on many more occasions than I do.

But I saw no dignity.