Tag Archives: Losing a Child



Should You Shield Children from Thinking About Their Own Deaths?

Three teenagers talk to their families about how they want to die

Parents of terminally ill children have a tough decision to make: to talk about funeral plans with their child or to shield them from the idea completely. It’s not an easy decision. When the child is a teenager who has … Continue reading

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”All My Love” by Led Zeppelin

These hard rock titans pay an unexpected tribute to the sudden death of a child in this haunting memorial song

When you hear the name “Led Zeppelin,” you probably think of John Bonham’s thundering drums, Jimmy Page’s dirty, crunchy guitar riffs and Robert Plant’s howling vocals. They’re best-known for singing about sex, drugs and hobbits. But this group has a … Continue reading

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Tomorrow Comes by Donna Mebane

In Tomorrow Comes, Donna Mebane tries to make sense of the sudden death of her daughter, imagining how she spends time in heaven

The unthinkable happened to Donna Mebane: her 19 year-old daughter Emma died suddenly in her sleep. She wasn’t sick; she simply went to bed one night and never woke up. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare come true. Emma Mebane left … Continue reading

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Two Parents, One Impossible Choice

Deidrea and T.K. Laux were forced to decide the fate of their terminally ill son

Would you give birth to a baby knowing it will die in a few days? Deidrea and T.K. Laux had to make this choice, and their final decision sparked controversy. Their pregnancy started as any other. The couple were ecstatic … Continue reading

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“Making Toast” by Roger Rosenblatt

The beautiful, tragic story of a grandfather losing his daughter

In his 2010 memoir, Making Toast, Roger Rosenblatt paints a beautiful portrait of what it means to lose someone too soon.  After his daughter, Amy, dies suddenly of a rare heart abnormality, Rosenblatt and his wife move in with their … Continue reading

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How to help Children deal with Grief? An Interview with Astrid Reichenbach

The Child Life Specialist opens up about supporting, counseling, and listening to children who face illness and end-of-life

Astrid Reichenbach, MA, CCLS, MFTI, is a certified Child Life Specialist working at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. She provides support for children at the hospital, whether they are long-term patients, one-time visitors, or the relative of another … Continue reading

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