Six years ago, my world changed forever. My husband died after a two-year journey with colon cancer. Walking alongside him through diagnosis, treatment, hope, and heartbreak opened my eyes to the complexity, confusion, and overwhelming nature of a serious illness. We experienced gaps in communication, endured the weight of uncertainty, and felt a deep need for compassionate support, not just for patients, but for their families also.
That experience shaped me and motivated me to find a way to make a difference in the lives of real people – patients, families, and caregivers.
After a 30-year career in HR systems and healthcare advisory, I felt a pull I could no longer ignore. I left the corporate world to pursue something far more personal: guiding individuals and families through life’s most challenging transitions with presence, empathy, and informed care. Today, I work as a Death Doula with a focus on grief support, loss navigation, and death literacy.
But my advocacy didn’t start there.
Seeking Solace in Volunteer Action
In the months after my husband’s death, I sought out ways to give back. I wanted a way to turn the lessons learned through this journey into something meaningful. I joined PIVOT (Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together), a partnership that brings cancer patients and researchers together to improve the research process and ultimately outcomes. All of us have a lived cancer experience. Some are survivors, on their own cancer journey. Others are previvors, meaning that they have a high risk for cancer and are proactively managing that risk. And then there are co-survivors, like me, who have been caregivers for those living with cancer. In this role, I bring the voice of the patient to cancer scientists and investigators. I’m especially proud of my work on patient-facing materials—resources designed to answer the kinds of questions newly diagnosed patients often don’t even know to ask. It’s deeply rewarding to know that someone facing the worst day of their life might find a little more clarity and comfort because of something we created.
My commitment to the cancer community runs deep. I also volunteer with Gilda’s Club Kansas City, a community of support for anyone impacted by cancer. I’m proud to be the secretary of the board for an organization that helped me personally. I found community with others experiencing loss in their “Living with Loss” group. The club is a place where laughter and tears are equally welcome, and where no one has to navigate cancer alone.
I also volunteer with Solace House, a program of Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, where I co-facilitate grief support groups. These circles are sacred spaces, places where people can speak honestly about loss, where silence is honored, and where healing can begin in the presence of others who understand the sadness, confusion, and anger associated with loss.
The Step Beyond Volunteering
Becoming a Death Doula felt like a natural evolution of all this work. It’s not just a role—it’s a calling. I support caregivers who are grieving, those who are dying, and those preparing for what’s ahead. My goal is always to bring clarity, comfort, and calm to experiences that often feel chaotic and lonely. I walk beside people, not to fix what can’t be fixed, but to be present, offer resources, and help create meaning where it matters most.
Why do I advocate? Because I believe every person deserves dignity, information, and compassion at the end of life. Because grief needs space, time, and tending for healing to happen. Because death, when faced with compassion and care, should be a sacred part of life—not just a medical event.
And because none of us should have to do this alone.
Interested in Learning More?
If you’re curious about how to bring more meaning, clarity, or peace to life’s transitions—whether you’re navigating a loss, supporting someone with a serious illness, or simply exploring what it means to live fully and die prepared, I offer services like workshops, grief support, and one-on-one guidance. .
You can learn more about upcoming events, or get in touch with me directly.
Let’s continue the conversation. You don’t have to walk this path alone.
