End-of-Life Doulas (death doulas) are non-medical professionals who offer personalized end of life care and help people prepare emotionally, physically, and spiritually for death.  End-of-Life Doulas (EOLDs) guide individuals and families in making end of life decisions and empower people to make educated choices about the way they want their end-of-life experiences to unfold.

How people die remains in the memory of those who live on. 
Dame Cicely Saunders

Education and Affiliations:

*Retired high school teacher (B.A., B.Ed., M. Ed.)

*Former early childhood educator & journalist

*End of Life Doula course - Douglas College

*Member of End of Life Doula Association

*Burnaby Hospice Society Volunteer (hospice, long-term care, bereavement/grief support)

*Dying with Dignity Canada Volunteer

​How I came to this work:

When I was two years old, my mother died and this loss has shaped much of my lived experiences about death.  At the time, the adults around us (my sisters and I) offered strange platitudes (she’s a star in the sky, she’s six feet under pushing up daisies), but never explained what really happened to our mom.  Throughout my childhood, no one directly addressed her death or talked with us about our loss; therefore, I grew up thinking death was not a topic discussed openly.

As all of us do, I continued experiencing losses - grandparents, nieces, friends, pets -  and tried to be more open about how I felt and what I was experiencing. I also watched my family and friends struggle with loss and what I sometimes saw as lack of understanding or empathy around loss and grief. Even though I knew more was needed to support my friends and families, I was not sure how I could really make a difference. When I became an early childhood educator, a friend shared with me Dr. Kubler-Ross’s book, On Death & Dying, which had a profound impact on my understanding of loss in my own life and how to look at loss moving forward.  She suggested that children need to see death as part of the human experience and that allowing children to feel and talk about loss, even loss as simple as a balloon, can be helpful.  I began to understand I could have a role in helping and/or supporting others in their grief but still only had my own experiences to guide me.

Then a few years ago, after a family member chose MAiD, I was talking with a close friend about how much more I wished I could do to support individuals in end-of-life choices, decision making and grief support. She mentioned death doulas, leading me to explore the possibility of a more concrete way to be of service.
​
After taking the Douglas College End of Life Doula course and becoming a hospice volunteer and bereavement support volunteer, I have become a strong advocate for end-of-life planning and feel this is an area where conversations about death and dying can be started in a supportive and respectful environment. At first, I thought I needed to have answers; however, the more I truly engage with individuals in a supportive capacity, I am humbled to realize what is most important is to show up, hold space, be of service and offer support. My wish is to assist individuals and families; advocate for better end-of-life planning; and improve the quality of life for the dying and their loved ones.