Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Michele – Talks about being a death doula

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

Maureen – “Not being able to be with your loved one”

Maureen discusses ideas of how you can honour a loved now until it is safe to come together.

Karyn and Aidan – Challenges with COVID restrictions

Karyn and Aidan discuss the COVID restrictions on visitations and how they managed

Andrea – Grieving during a pandemic

Andrea discusses the challenges of grieving during a pandemic

KIm – Planning a funeral in the pandemic

Kim explains the ups and downs of planning a funeral during the pandemic

Kim – It’s different during a pandemic

Kim talks about how the pandemic influenced how they were able to deal with her Mum’s death

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

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.

Karyn and Aidan – Supporting each other

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

Sunny- Processing Different Losses During the Pandemic

Karyn and Aidan – Humour

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they use humour as a connection and a coping tool

Maureen – End stages during a pandemic

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

Karyn and Aidan – Our story

Karyn and Aidan – Karyn tells the story leading up to John’s death during the pandemic