God bless you. We took our stillborn daughter from NJ to NC - hospital wouldn’t release her body to us but to a funeral home and the funeral home people were actually appalled by the cost of flying her casket commercially so they released her to us with the necessary paperwork. Unfortunately the family is dependent on the openness of the funeral home. And my uncle drove the casket of my great-uncle (and maybe my great-aunt later) from GA to NC.
God Bless both of you. I am sorry for your loss.