Kerri
Mother of Kai, who died from an inoperable brain tumor at age 2
A conversation about Anticipatory Grief
Psychologist Nancy Frumer Styron and bereaved mom and CPN’er Kerri in conversation about anticipatory grief: What it is, the role it plays, how natural it is, how it can help people to process and prepare, and where to find help coping.
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The palliative Care team helped me preserve his quality of life.
A conversation about Anticipatory Grief
Wanting desperately to know what it looks like.
Instantly I felt I was on the other side.
There’s a shift that happens emotionally.
Decision-Making: My biggest fear was getting caught in the medical machine.
Child illness impacts a marriage in different ways.
You can change your mind re treatment and care plan.
Pros and Cons of Social Media
Creating a safe place for each person to express their feelings.
I need his life to be good NOW.
Think about what you need.
At the end of the day, it’s my kid and others can’t take that on.
Parents worry they’re going to have regrets, but if it’s the right decision …
Hospice streamlines everything.
How long was this part of the journey going to take?
People need to do what feels right to them.
I knew I wanted to donate his tumor to research.
Time passing is really hard.
I still talk to my network all the time.
It’s another sort of loss.
An Update with Kerri, 4 Years Later
People wonder how they are changed by the death of their child.
How is this my life?
Enough is enough.
Am I going to be able to go on?
Preparing … or Not.
It’s hard to imagine your life without your child.
Decisions start from Day One.