Literature Review

Children’s bereavement needs on rise, Hospice of Santa Barbara finds Noozhawk, Santa Barbara County, CA; by Wavecomm; 4/20/25 It’s not just adults who are impacted by grief and loss in the Santa Barbara community. Children are as well. One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18, and one in 20 children will experience the death of one or both parents before reaching adulthood, according to Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB). Although death and grief are inevitable parts of life, these statistics highlight just how many children are impacted. ... HSB is active on local campuses, providing professional weekly support groups from elementary to college age students. On-campus counseling services provide a space for open communication, support and the development of coping skills, helping to mitigate the risk of drug and alcohol abuse among grieving youth. HSB also works with teachers and staff to offer guidance and support when students face a traumatic death. HSB is prepared to respond to calls from 65 schools from Carpinteria to Goleta, in case a traumatic death occurs within the campus.

Ambiguous loss: Implications for perinatal and neonatal nursesNeonatal Network; Rachel A Joseph, Mary Highton; 3/25Ambiguous loss, a term coined by Pauline Boss, is a state in which there is no actual "death" and, therefore, no "grieving" or closure associated with it. Pregnancy is a happy event most of the time; however, the loss of pregnancy can be distressing to the parents. While the birth of a child is expected to be a joyful event, premature birth and subsequent admission to the NICU for prolonged periods with fluctuating conditions force the parent to be in a constant crisis mode where the outcome is unknown. This can mentally, physically, and emotionally drain the parents and may cause depression or other mental health challenges. Perinatal and neonatal nurses are uniquely positioned to recognize the warning signs of emerging grief crises in the parents and support them appropriately.

Dad diary: A smashed snake and our first real talk about death Indy Parenting; by Tyler Hayden; 3/28/25 The other day, just after the rain, my three-year-old and I were making our regular walk up the street to get the mail when he suddenly stopped and looked at the ground. There on the asphalt was a young gopher snake, crushed and bloody, its insides on the outside. “What’s that?” he asked. Here we go, I thought. Our first real conversation about death. I’d always imagined ― or hoped ― his first encounter with the other side of life would be a belly-up goldfish or a bird lying still in grass. Or even our 16-year-old cat. Something like that. But here it was, in an especially gory and disorienting form, staring us in the face. ... NPR recently interviewed a hospice social worker named Rosemarie Truglio, who specializes in talking with children about the death. She compared the gradual process of helping them understand it to how a kid eats an apple, ... [Continue reading ...] 

Honoring a young girl’s love of nature on her final dayMayo Clinic News Network; by Mayo Clinic Staff; 3/27/25 On a Saturday evening in September of 2024, Mae Helgeson arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, her small body reeling from the trauma of a life-threatening accident. Although she was intubated and sedated, it didn't take long for the care team to learn what made this little girl special. ... "I often ask parents to tell me about their child. Is there anything you think is important or that I should know about your family?" says Paige Dighton, one of the Child Life specialists who partnered with Mae's family. "This allows them to share the special things — those unique qualities that make them a family. You learn more than just what's in their chart." ... It was only a couple of days later that Mae's family was faced with the devastating decision they'd hoped to avoid. ... The question shifted from "Can we save her?" to "How do we say goodbye?" Following their lead, the team began focusing on end-of-life care. "Dr. Schiltz gave us the space to think and process our emotions — it didn't feel rushed," says Matt. 

‘Dying people are incredible teachers’: Hospice nurse leans on personal loss experience to speak about end of life, write children’s books Dayton Daily News, Dayton, OH; by Beth Anspach; 3/20/25 Kim Vesey has experienced more than her share of loss. Her husband, Les, passed away in 2006 of colon cancer. “He died at home with Hospice care,” Vesey said. “Having worked in this area and experiencing it myself, this took it all to a much deeper level and changed my understanding of the process of grief.” ... She was hired for her first Hospice job in 1985. “It’s taught me a lot about life and living and what is important,” she said. “Dying people are incredible teachers.” ... After losing her husband, Vesey continued her work in Hospice care. Then in 2017, her daughter Sarah, who had struggled with severe asthma her entire life, passed away after going into cardiac arrest. She was just 29 years old and left behind a 4-year-old son, Warren. She was also pregnant with her second child. “My experience of losing my daughter shined a light on the struggle for children who are grieving,” Vesey said.“ ... Today, Vesey has published four books with two additional scheduled to be published this year, including a book about losing a beloved pet. ...

Children and family bereavement needs on the rise at Hospice of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 3/5/25 It’s not just adults who are impacted by grief and loss in our community. Children are as well. One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18, and one in twenty children will experience the death of one or both parents before reaching adulthood. Although death and grief are inevitable parts of life, these statistics highlight just how many children are impacted. Children are especially vulnerable when they lose a close loved one, and without professional support, grief can be especially paralyzing and overwhelming. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Children and Family Services program provides free professional support and coping tools for children, teens and their families ... HSB is active in local campuses, providing professional weekly support groups from elementary to college age students. On-campus counseling services provide a vital space for open communication, support and the development of coping skills.Editor's note: What specialized child, teen and family bereavement services are you providing? Missing? What more can you do, with life-changing outcomes for those you serve?

[UK] Supporting the bereaved child in the adult ICU: A narrative reviewIntensive Care Medicine; Annelies Rowland, Carole Boulanger, Louise Dalton; 2/25Childhood bereavement is a significant issue globally, affecting millions of children each year, with incidence rates significantly increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of an important adult, particularly in the ICU environment, can lead to lasting psychological and behavioural challenges for children. Both families and healthcare professionals (HCPs) often feel unprepared and uncomfortable engaging in honest, supportive conversations with children about bereavement, further complicating children's grief processing. This narrative review examines the pivotal role ICU HCPs can play in facilitating child-centred bereavement support, focusing on promoting honest communication, supportive visitation practices, creating a child-friendly and humanised ICU environment, and encouraging child involvement during end-of-life care. The review also advocates for specialised training to equip ICU staff with the necessary skills to support grieving children and families.

Father of 3 stages 'Grief Photo Shoot' to remember wife who died of cancer (exclusive): CJ Infantino and his late wife Ariana were high school sweethearts People; by Jordan Greene; 2/13/25 There are many moments forever etched in CJ Infantino’s memory, but one stands out above the rest. It was Sept. 5, 2020, when CJ and his wife, Ariana, sat their three kids down at the kitchen table in their California home and told them that Ariana, 35, was going to die. ... Ariana was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2015 — coincidentally, on CJ’s 30th birthday. "We spent the next five-and-a-half years trying to live as much life as we could. We wanted to pack 30 years into 10," CJ says. ... After her last breath, he recalls that everyone "just went silent." ... Right away, the father of three felt isolated, as if no one could relate to his experience. He found that the things people said were often unhelpful and, at times, unintentionally harmful.  ... "I really just wanted to show my kids that, even though she’s not physically here, it’s okay to talk about her. We’re still allowed to laugh, even when we’re in so much pain," he says. "I remember the first moment I laughed or felt a hint of joy, and I thought, 'Are we allowed to do this?' " ... [Click on the title's link for the inspirational story and family photos before and after Ariana's death.] 

Bringing children home: Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s approach to pediatric end-of-life care American Hospital Association; 2/8/25 When parents have a child with a serious illness, all they want is for their child to get well. If that no longer becomes a possibility, often all they want is to bring their child home. Most — around 70% — of pediatric deaths related to illness occur in the hospital, but the Kentucky Children’s Health Pediatric Advanced Care Team offers some families the chance to transport their child home using life-sustaining technology. That’s not an easy feat; these patients are medically fragile, and the outcome can be unpredictable. A team made up of hospital administrators, hospice providers, coroner and the transportation team comes up with a plan. The child’s parents complete an informed consent procedure, recognizing that their child may not survive the journey home. The transportation team tries to ensure that the journey is as comfortable as possible, as well as planning what to do if the child’s condition deteriorates on the journey. If that happens, he or she will be supported as they pass without resuscitation efforts.

Garlock: How to prepare children for hardships and tragedies The Citizen; by Dr. Victor Garlock; 2/4/25 All of us must face hardships and tragedies. How well we are able to get through difficult times is a major factor affecting the overall quality of our lives. Sometimes these challenges arrive individually, as in a sudden serious illness, an accident, or the death of a loved one. Sometimes — as in last fall’s devastating floods in North Carolina or the recent wildfires in Southern California — entire communities must find a way to move forward. ... Resilience is the capacity to recover from challenges and adversity. Tragic optimism is the determination to remain optimistic and find meaning and purpose in the face of tragedy. [With children:]