Info
RxChildren's Grief
Losing someone you love can be one of the most challenging experiences for both families and children. Below is a list of resources that can be helpful in understanding those experiences as well as how to support those around you.
Community Partners
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Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Service (CHaPS)
Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Service (CHaPS) is located at the Rotary Flames House (RFH). A comprehensive palliative care service, including a community-based hospice, for children with serious illnesses and their families. Bereavement support for parents after death of a child 0-17 is also provided.
Web Content
Videos
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Out of Order: Dealing with the Death of a Child
This video is helpful for bereaved parents who have experienced the death of a teen or adult child. You will hear how three couples have experienced their grief, what has helped them and how they honor and keep connections with the memories of their children.
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Lost Innocence: Dealing with the Death of a Young Child
In this program you will meet three parents who have experienced the death of a young child. These parents speak openly about their children and the many grief experiences they have encountered.
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Love and Sorrow: Dealing with the Death of a Child with Special Needs
In this program you will meet four parents who have experienced the death of a special needs child. These parents speak openly about their children and the many grief experiences they have encountered.
Websites
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Grief: Helping Children With Grief
MyHealth.Alberta.ca has a useful article about helping children grieve. Tips are provided to aid you in supporting a child. You will be directed to even more related information by clicking on the highlighted text.
myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=aa122262
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Grief: Helping Teens With Grief
Supporting teenagers grieve is addressed on this page created by MyHealth.Alberta.ca. This how to guide will equip you with knowledge and strategies to better aid a grieving teen.
myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=aa131190
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Death and Grief
Kidshealth.org has created this page for teens to help teens understand grief. In this encouraging reading teens can read about the grieving process and know that everyone heals at a different pace.
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Canadian Virtual Hospice
The Canadian Virtual Hospice is an online space which provides personalized information and support for families, patients, heath care providers, researchers and educators on palliative and end of life care, loss, and grief. There are various articles, recommended resource lists, and discussion forums.
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Hospice Calgary
Hospice Calgary provides education, programs, and services for grieving children, teens, adults, and families.
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KidsGrief.ca
This website was created to help you support children (ages 0-18) grieve. Learning modules were developed by experts to help caregivers understand and support a grieving child.
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The Dougy Center
The Dougy Center provides support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families grieving a death can share their experiences.
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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Sibling Death and Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Families
The death of a child takes a toll on a family. This resource helps families and siblings cope with their grief.
nctsn.org/resources/sibling-death-and-childhood-traumatic-grief-information-families
Book List
These resources are available to borrow in the Family Library. You can also check with your local library to see if they are available.
You can download, print, and share this PDF or our Destiny Collection List.
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Living Dying : A Guide for Adults Supporting Grieving Children and Teenagers
The guidebook provides suggestions for talking to kids and teens about grief. It is written in a question and answer format and addresses palliation, dying and death.
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This book provides simple ideas of how to deal with grief for kids and how their grief can be a unique experience.
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Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens : 100 Practical Ideas
This book provides simple ideas of how to deal with grief for teens and how their grief can be a unique experience.
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After Fox passes away his friends gather and share their memories of him. As they share their stories of Fox a tree grows bigger and bigger. Fox lives on in the memory tree.
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A mother teachers her two children about an invisible string. No matter where you are you are connected to your loved ones with an invisible string that will never break.
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This book includes beautiful illustrations and portrays the afterlife in a non-religious way.
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Gentle Willow : A Story for Children About Dying
This story about a gentle tree and her forest friends is for children who may not survive their illness. It is written for siblings and friends too. It addresses various feelings and includes a note for parents.
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Different cultures and religions have different approaches to death. Children will be able to learn about different customs and beliefs about death in this book.
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Based on the customs of the indigenous Plains people this book written for children tells the tale of the death of an old woman. Symbolism is used to show the customs of the woman on her spirit journey to beyond the ridge, while afterward sacred rituals are done to help mourn and accept her death.
Contributors
We would like to thank our friends at Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Service (CHaPS) and Alberta Children's Hospital for their contributions.
Current as of: January 26, 2024