What Now? On the threshold of life, death, and grief.
Presented by palliative and bereavement health care professionals Julie Brown, Red Keating and David Kennedy. Dying is one of the few experiences we will all share, yet little is done in our culture to prepare us for this inevitability and it's resulting bereavement and grief. Drawing on their vast knowledge and experience each episode is a conversation meant to enlighten and demystify the often difficult and emotional experiences of dying, death and bereavement. Presented in partnership with Hospice Peterborough.
What Now? On the threshold of life, death, and grief.
The Birrell Family: A Family’s Experience in Grief
In this episode we have the honour of speaking with members of the Birrell family who share their insights after the death of their 8-year-old son and brother James in 2001.
Our conversation focuses on grief and its long-term impacts on families. The Birrells aid us in understanding grief from the parental and sibling perspectives. Pam, Syd and Rebecca are transparent and honest in sharing the difficult and sometimes dangerous aspects of grief that challenge personal, and family dynamics and change relationships for a lifetime.
The Birrells are well known, locally, and around the world. Their fund-raising efforts have raised over $13 million dollars towards research into neuroblastoma.
James' journey of cancer is documented through the book published by the family, with the title contributed by James “Ya Can’t Let Cancer Ruin Your Day.” We would also like to acknowledge Ben, James' brother, who due to his studies, was away at the time of recording and unable to join us.
