Video

Karyn and Aidan – Coping with the COVID restrictions

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they dealt with not being able to visit John in hospital

Teresa – Grief and people with intellectual disabilities

Teresa discusses some of the key issues facing people with intellectual disabilites in grief. She addresses the importance ot taking time to understand.

Kristal – Drug Poisoning During Pandemic Stigma

Kristal discusses how the pandemic has created additional stigma surrounding those who use drugs. She dissuses how it seems like some losses are treated as more deserving of being mourned than others. Many people have had to grieve privately instead of publically within a community. She touches on the state of the public health system during the pandemic.

Cara – People with intellectual disabilities need to be recognized and honoured in their grief

Cara talks about grievers living with intellectual disabilities and that it’s not about those of us who are neuro-typical, giving them a voice or providing them or saying things for them. Rather, it’s that they already have a voice. They already have these experiences and they want them to be recognized, acknowledged and honoured.

John – My Story

John tells the story of his wife became ill suddenly and died

Kara – “LIfe Partner”

Kara talks about her partner dying.

Susan – “Looking for answers”

Susan talks about the concept of a good death.

Doug M – “Helping Children Cope with Sibling Death”

Doug talks about shock and the importance of making sure children get help. Doug continues to grieve the death of his first wife.

Margaux – “It never really hit me at one moment”

Margaux describes the experience of gradually processing her grief through individual and group therapy. Margaux continues to grieve the death of her mother from breast cancer.

Jessica M – A Parking Lot Memorial

Jessica shares how her family gathered after her uncle died during COVID and how her family came up with a creative way of getting together in a parking lot.

Kristal – Lack of Memorials During Pandemic

Kristal talks about how memorials can offer closure to people who are grieving, find a community, and share stories. With the absence of this during the pandemic, many people turned inward to grieve or isolated, which can create safety issues and have an impact on mental health. She speaks to how this leads to depression, physical pain, and it compounds upon itself.

Karyn and Aidan – Humour

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they use humour as a connection and a coping tool