Ep. 415 End-of-Life Care for Children and Their Families with Toula Saratsis

Learn how a grieving mother has been called to offer palliative, end-of-life, and after death care to children and their families.

My guest Toula Saratsis is a certified end-of-life doula who specializes in prenatal and pediatric palliative, end-of-life, and after death care support. She shares her poignant story of being called to this work after the death of her daughter Angelica from a life limiting condition. Toula’s work and wisdom are remarkable in a field of care that many find too painful and heartbreaking to pursue. She shows us that grief is a powerful transformer and creator of good in the world. Connect with Toula:

toulasaratsis@gmail.com Facebook: Toula Saratsis Instagram: @toula_saratsis

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

• Toula and Angelica’s story
• How Toula managed to cope with devastating loss and grief
• Why Toula felt well-suited to provide palliative and end-of-life care to children after facing death on a daily basis
• How to inspire more end-of-life care providers to work with children even through their discomfort
• How Toula advocates for patients and families within the healthcare system
• The need for palliative and end-of-life care for perinatal death
• How to talk to a child with a life-limiting condition about death
• The importance of a home funeral after a child dies
• Self-care while doing this work

Links mentioned in this episode:

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• Blog: How Virtual Reality Transformed My Ordinary Reality
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• Previous episode with Gregory Roufa and Lama Karma from aNUma: Episode389
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