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Helpful Resources

General Resources

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The Conversation Project

Resources for talking about end-of-life wishes with loved ones

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Gift of Life-Transplantation Society of Michigan

Organ and tissue donor registry enrollment and information

(800) 482-4881

 

Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids

Workshops, support groups, and online resources for caregivers, friends, and family; any kind of cancer journey or those grieving a death due to any cause; school partnership programs and specialized programs for children

(616) 453.8300
 

Green Burial Council

Information on green burial and locating certified cemetery stewards, funeral professionals, and funerary product sellers for more sustainable after-death options

(888) 966-3330

 

Michigan Legal Help

Online self-help tools; forms and guides for wills and life planning; public assistance

(English and Spanish)

 

The Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Extensive guide to available hospice care in Michigan

(800) 536-6300 (free resource)

 

National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

Focus on improving quality of services and support offered to LGBTQ+ older adults, their families, and caregivers

(English, Spanish, and translation in other languages)

Sage Hotline (877) 360-5428 (free service)

 

National Home Funeral Alliance

Information related to community-led after-death care

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National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Information for patients, families, and caregivers

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Resources for Adults on Death, Grief, and Loss

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BOOKS

  • Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved —  Kate Bowler

  • The Year of Magical Thinking — Joan Didion

  • Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying — Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley

  • Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End — Christopher Kerr MD, PhD

  • The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life - Katy Butler

  • A Long Letting Go: Meditations on Losing Someone You Love - Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

  • Disaster Falls: A Family Story — Stephane Gerson

  • The Night Lake: A Young Priest Maps The Topography of Grief — Liz Tichenor

  • 7 Lessons from Heaven: How Dying Taught Me to Live a Joy-Filled Life — Mary C Neal, MD

  • Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope — Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak with Mark Tabb

  • Grieving Well: A Healing Journey Through the Season of Grief - Terri DeBoer/Janet Jaymin and contributors

 

WEBSITES

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Resources for Children, Pre-Teens, and Teens on Death, Grief, and Loss


LOSS OF PET

  • The Dead Bird – Margaret Wise Brown

  • I’ll Always Love You – Hans Wilhelm

  • The Tenth Good Thing About Barney – Judith Viorst

  • Goodbye, Mousie – Robie H. Harris

  • Tough Boris - Mem Fox

  • Where Lily Isn’t - Julie Paschkis

  • Tim’s Goodbye - Steven Salerno

  • The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye - Jane Yolen

  • The End of Something Wonderful: A Practical Guide to a Backyard Funeral - Stephanie Lucianovic

  • Rosie & Crayon - Deborah Marcero

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LOSS OF SIBLING

  • Jenny: Coming to Terms With the Death of a Sibling – Stephanie Jeffs and Jaqui Thomas

  • What is Goodbye? - Nikki Grimes

  • Mama Bird Lost An Egg - Evelyn Fournier

  • Remembering Ethan - Leslea Newman

  • Finn’s Feather - Rachel Noble


LOSS OF PARENT

  • The Pond - Nicola Davies

  • My Big Dumb Invisible Dragon - Angie Lucas

  • Dancing at the Pity Party: a Dead Mom Graphic Memoir - Tyler Feder

  • One Wave at a Time - Holly Thompson

  • Mom’s Sweater - Jayde Perkin

  • Everett Anderson’s Goodbye – Lucille Clifton

  • If You Listen – Charlotte Zolotow

  • How it Feels When a Parent Dies – Jill Krementz

 

LOSS OF GRANDPARENT/AUNT/UNCLE

  • Each Little Bird That Sings – Deborah Wiles

  • Sarah’s Grandma Goes to Heaven: A Book About Grief – Maribeth Boelts

  • Grandpa’s Stories: A Book of Remembering - Joseph Coelho

  • Cry, Heart, But Never Break - Glenn Ringtved

  • Sweet, Sweet Memory – Jacqueline Woodson

  • I Miss My Grandpa - Jin Xiaojing

  • A Path of Stars - Anne Sibley O’Brien

  • Granddad’s Prayers of the Earth – Douglas Wood

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LOSS OF FRIEND

  • Balloons for Trevor – Anne Good Cave

  • Badger’s Parting Gifts – Susan Varley

  • Gentle Willow – Joyce Mills

  • Matylda, Bright & Tender - Holly McGhee

  • A Map Into the World - Kai Kailua Yang

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GRIEF WORKBOOKS FOR CHILDREN

  • It’s Okay to Cry: An Interactive Recovery Workbook – H. Norman Wright

  • Someone I Love Died – Christine Harder Tangvald

  • Help Me Say Goodbye – Janis Silverman

  • My Grieving Journey Book – Donna and Eve Shavatt

  • When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief – Marge Heegaard

  • The Healing Book - Ellen Sabin

  • The Gift of a Memory: A Keepsake to Commemorate the Loss of a Loved One - Marianne Richmond

 

GENERAL BOOKS FOR CHILDREN ON DEATH, LOSS, AND GRIEVING

  • The Goodbye Book - Todd Parr

  • Why Do I Feel So Sad? - Tracy Lambert

  • Something Very Sad Happened: A Toddler’s Guide to Understanding Death - Bonnie Zucker

  • After the Funeral – Jane Loretta Winsch

  • Where Do They Go? - Julia Alvarez

  • Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss – Michaelene Mundy

  • Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children – Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

  • I Miss You: A First Look at Death – Pat Thomas

  • The Secret Remedy Book: A Story of Comfort and Loss – Karin Cates

  • Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss – Pat Schweibert and Chuck DeKlyen

  • Someone I Love Died – Christine Harder Tangvald

  • Ride to the Stars - Suzanne Gene Courtney

  • It Must Hurt A Lot: A Child’s Book About Death - Doris Sanford

  • The Saddest Time - Norma Simon

  • What Happens When A Loved One Dies? - Jillian Roberts

  • The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden - Heather Smith

 

BOOKS FOR PRE-TEENS AND TEENS

  • How it Feels When a Parent Dies – Jill Krementz

  • The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages – Leo Buscaglia

  • Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir - Tyler Feder

  • When A Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing – Marilyn Gootman

  • Death: Coping With the Pain – Eileen Kuehn

  • Grounded - Kate Klise

  • Matylda, Bright & Tender - Holly McGhee

  • Teen Mental Health: Death and Bereavement - Kornfield, Waters, and Furgang

  • Death - Janine Amos

  • I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain - Will Walton

     

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Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers

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BOOKS

  • Helping Children Grieve & Grow: A Guide for Those Who Care – Donna O’Toole

  • Why Did You Die? Activities to Help Children Cope with Grief & Loss - Erika Leeuwenburgh

  • Part of Me Died, Too: Stories of Creative Survival Among Bereaved Children and Teenagers – Virginia Lynn Fry

  • Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children – Doris Stickney

  • The Grieving Child: A Parent’s Guide – Helen Fitzgerald

  • Talking With Children About Loss: Words, Strategies, and Wisdom to Help Children Cope with Death, Divorce, and Other Difficult Times – Maria Trozzi

  • Keys to Helping Children Deal With Death and Grief – Joy Johnson

  • The Loss That is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of the Early Death of a Mother or Father – Maxine Harris

  • Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent – Donna Schuurman (Kindle)

  • Guiding Your Child Through Grief – Mary Ann and James Emswiler

  • Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Loved One: A Guide for Grownups – William Kroen (Kindle)

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WEBSITES

MUSIC

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Spotify Playlists

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  • Therapy Music for Hospice and Palliative Care: Music for Comfort and Healing

  • Winter Instrumentals

     

Podcasts

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  • Everything Happens with Kate Bowler (Apple)

  • Always Andy’s Mom (locate episodes on andysmom.com)

  • Healing with David Kessler (Spotify)
     

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