Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Michele – Talks about being a death doula

March 14, 2022

Michele explains what death doula’s do. Doula means servant. They support people on many different levels… for instance, emotionally, spiritually and physically

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Supporting Others / Video

Jean – Helping your children through grief

April 1, 2022

Jean discusses how helping her children through grief also helped her

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Partner / Video

Maureen – End stages during a pandemic

October 1, 2020

Maureen talks about the end stages of her father-in-law during the pandemic.

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Video

Karyn and Aidan – Hospital and the COVID restrictions

February 21, 2022

Karyn and Aidan talk about the challenges of the restrictions and the impact of COVID patients on John’s care

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Death of a Partner / Video

Beauty found at the edges: a portrait of community support

March 1, 2023

I’d sent a text saying “Hello friends, I’m putting out a call for flowers. I went to public school with Kory, the young man who died in downtown Cobourg this week, and though I hadn’t seen him in recent years, I feel the loss of him on a community level, as I imagine you do, too. Some of Kory’s people are gathering tonight in vigil at the bank where he died, and I’m gathering flowers from those of us who have gardens to share with this grieving community. Do you have some blooms in your garden that you’d be willing to share?”

Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others

Lynda – ‘Pandemic and triggers”

May 15, 2020

Lynda discusses how hard it is during the pandemic to avoid triggers

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Video

Christian – Language around those pushed to the margins

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about how people who are pushed to the margins are not discussed as part of our community and how we need to include them. As a community how do we care for our neighbours and how do we mourn the loss of our neighbours

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Maureen – Palliative during the pandemic

September 28, 2020

Maureen lost her father in law during the pandemic

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Video

Karyn and Aidan – Supporting each other

February 17, 2022

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they supported each other and how they coped with John being hospitalized

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Death of a Partner / Supporting Others / Video

Karyn and Aidan – Support from others

February 21, 2022

Karyn and Aidan discuss how family, friends, and people they didn’t know in the community supported them.Talking, meals, dog walking are among the things that made a huge difference.

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Death of a Partner / Supporting Others / Video

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

September 15, 2022

When we are grieving, some days are more difficult than others. Grief comes in waves like the sea and can feel like an intertwining labyrinth of emotions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates that are associated with our loved one who has died can contribute to more emotionally intense days which can be worsened through the anticipation and “what ifs” of the upcoming day. These difficult days can leave us feeling defeated and it can almost feel like we’ve taken two steps backward in our grieving process, but grief does not have a timeline, and these feelings of setbacks are opportunities for healing.

Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Griever

Jean – What grief feels like physically

April 1, 2022

Jean discusses the physical effects she has experienced in grief

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Partner / Video