Resources to help you and your family
References:
Talking to Young People About Illness and Dying
Attending Funerals, Memorials, and Other Rituals
Books:
Understanding The Journey: A Parent's Guide to DIPG (edited by Ruth I. Hoffman)
A book about DIPG and a guide for parents to help deal with the diagnosis. Features stories about Stella.
Available from the American Childhood Cancer Organization
When Dinosaurs Die (by Laurie Krasny Brown)
Available at Chapters or Amazon
Living Dying: A Guide for Adults Supporting Grieving Children and Teenagers (by Ceilidh Eaton Russell)
Available through the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care
Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children (by Bryan Mellonie. Generally for 4-8 year olds, but can definitely be read to younger kids too.)
Available at Chapters or Amazon
Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death (by Joan Halifax. This is an excellent resource for adults who would like some guidance around being with people who are dying or grieving) Available at Chapters or Amazon. Also look at this video of a lecture by Dr. Halifax discussing her work.
Links:
General information about brain tumors in children
Information about DIPG (Stella's brain tumor)
Please add other books or resources that you like and think will be helpful to Stella's family and friends.
Comments (6)
Cynthia Neudoerffer:
Oct 28, 2012 at 02:46 PM
Here are some book titles that might be helpful for Gracie -- my daughter Lydia was 4 1/2 when her brother Harry died and she has all of these books - some read more than others. I think they may also be helpful for the boys when they get older. My dad died of cancer when I was 2 and though I was small I have still grieved him for most of my life and as a child I think some of these books might have been useful - especially as once I got old enough to be really aware of my grief and experience and express it it was several years after my Dad had died - so most adults around me had come a place of acceptance with their grief - but I needed ways to express it years after the fact.
Our favourite is: When Dinosaurs Die, A guide to understanding Death by Laurie Kransny Brown and Marc Brown (Aurthur story author) (read and discussed may times).
Lifetimes - the beautiful way to explain death to children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
If Nathan Were Here - by Mary Bahr - this is about a boy whose best friend has died - it might resonate for Gracie.
http://www.amazon.ca/Nathan-Were-Here-Mary-Bahr/dp/0802851878/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351449932&sr=1-1
That Summer - by Tony Johnston -
http://www.amazon.ca/That-Summer-Tony-Johnston/dp/0152058567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351449893&sr=8-1
When Someone Very Special Dies - Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief written by Marge Heegaard to be illustrated by children - this last one we really like. It is a good discussion on death - and there is space on each page for a child to illustrate their feelings / thoughts on the page. Lydia really likes this one. She has drawn in it on and off for several years and has really made it her own - even writing on the front, "Please do not open" - so she has really put herself into it. So if I was to recommend one for Gracie this would be it.
http://www.amazon.ca/When-Someone-Very-Special-Dies/dp/0962050202/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351449962&sr=1-1
Hope some of this info is useful.
J:
Oct 24, 2012 at 08:16 AM
I'm so sorry for your loss. If you need support or someone to talk to, please check out Bereaved Families of Ontario - Toronto. www.bfotoronto.ca/ They have peer-led support groups, and you can also have a one-on-one session with a peer who has gone through a similar loss.
Ann:
Jul 10, 2012 at 05:36 PM
Donations can be made to Meagan's Walk which specifically funds research at SickKids for brain tumour research. Megan didn't make it, but many other kids have benefitted from the research at SickKids and outcomes improve every year.
My nephew didn't have good odds when he was diagnosed witha brain tumour at 7. He's now a typical 16 year old. Miracles do happen!
PhillipBCooper:
Apr 07, 2012 at 03:10 AM
Always liked to play football, to find like-minded friends.messi hero shoes
Littlewolf:
Aug 11, 2011 at 09:34 PM
I don't know if this organization could be of use or not, but I wanted to pass along the web link just in case:
http://www.grantedwish.org/index.php
They appear to grant many different types of wishes for people in many different life circumstances.
If there's anything special Stella and her family need, maybe they could help?
Many good wishes going out to you!
Lisa Burt:
Aug 06, 2011 at 07:54 PM
Freddie the Leaf, talks about the life of a leaf and puts into easy terms for kids
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