Child Loss: Supporting Individuals Before and After
Every day 15,000 children die globally (more if you count prenatal deaths) thrusting parents into a process of coping with immediate and long-term effects. All cultures have ritualized customs for dealing with this process, conceptions of the deceased, and barriers for grieving. Working with palliative care teams, researchers, community organizations, counselors, and hospitals I seek to understand mourning across cultures and uncover strategies, tools, and resources to assist families with the process. From August 2022 - August 2023, I will be traveling internationally to learn how best to support children and their families before, during, and after terminal pediatric illness and sudden child loss. I plan to journey to New Zealand, Chile, Senegal, Kuwait, Belgium, and Ireland.
If you are interested in learning more about me or my project, have insights into this work or these countries, or otherwise want to connect, please reach out!
You can contact me at mgleydur@oberlin.edu.
As I go about my fellowship, I will periodically post longer updates and reflections and what I am doing and what I have learned on my blog.
For more frequent, real-time updates and pictures, follow my Instagram dedicated to documenting my Watson Fellowship experience!
If you don't have Instagram to follow my page, click here to see a live feed of my posts through my website!
Learn more about this amazing opportunity I have been awarded and the rest of the 54th class of Watson Fellows!
