Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Beauty found at the edges: a portrait of community support

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?”

Jean – My Story

Jean talks about isolation and grieving during a pandemic

Lynda – “Zoom and the importance of connecting”

Lynda discusses why it’s important to stay connected and how you can do it.

Karyn and Aidan – Support.

Karyn and Aidan discuss how much the support they received helped

Christian – Grieving those who died of drug poisoning

Christian talks about grieving, stigma and dying from drug poisoning

Marija – Types of Loss in a Pandemic

Marija explains how all of the losses we experience during a pandemic are compounded

Sunny- Grieving Different Losses

Zoreena – Burnout and counseling

Zoreena talks about her father’s decline in a nursing home during COVID

Karyn and Aidan – Support from others

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.

Joyce -The pandemics impact on drug poisonings

Joyce talks about drug poisonings during the pandemic

Kate – Triggers

Kate discusses how she deals with her emotions when something triggers her grief

Karyn and Aidan – Describing grief during the pandemic

Karyn and Aidan talk about how their grief has changed and the challenges they have faced grieving during a pandemic