We Will Sit With You - End of life Doulas

05/23/2026

In the search for a long, happy and healthy life, thinking about death may seem like it would divert you from the trail, but research suggests doing so could play an important part in helping you along the journey. https://cnn.it/4dFdZWV

05/23/2026

Understanding the Specific Needs of the LGBTQ+ Community in Hospice Care

Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face unique emotional, social, cultural, and healthcare challenges at the end of life. Many older LGBTQ+ adults grew up during times of discrimination, criminalization, or rejection, which can create deep mistrust of healthcare systems and fear of being treated unfairly during serious illness or hospice care. Some patients may worry about being judged, misgendered, isolated from chosen family, or having their relationships overlooked during critical healthcare decisions. (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), 2023; SAGE, 2022)

Hospice care should provide compassionate, affirming, and person-centered support that respects identity, relationships, spirituality, and personal wishes. This includes using a patient’s chosen name and pronouns, recognizing partners and chosen family members as important caregivers, respecting advance directives, and creating a safe environment where patients feel emotionally supported and valued. Inclusive communication and culturally competent care improve trust, reduce anxiety, and help patients experience dignity and comfort at the end of life. (HPNA, 2023; Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2022).

Many LGBTQ+ patients also experience higher rates of social isolation, depression, caregiver strain, and delayed healthcare due to prior discrimination. Some may not have traditional family support systems and instead rely heavily on close friends or community members. Hospice teams can help by providing emotional support, caregiver education, grief counseling, spiritual care, and advocacy to ensure the patient’s wishes are honored throughout the dying process. (SAGE, 2022; NIH, 2023)

Providing inclusive hospice care is not about treating LGBTQ+ patients differently, it is about recognizing the barriers they may have faced and ensuring every patient receives respectful, compassionate, and equitable care during one of the most vulnerable times of life.

Please like, follow, and share to help expand hospice education and awareness.

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05/23/2026

Who have you lost that made the biggest impact on your life?

For us at We’ll Sit With You, it was Brittany’s daughter, Everleigh.

Brittany’s pregnancy with Everleigh was very hard, which made the day she arrived feel even more miraculous and beautiful to both of us.

And she truly was beautiful.

Everleigh had a full head of soft, straight black hair, the prettiest skin tone, and big expressive eyes that always seemed to tell a story. She had so many little faces and expressions packed into such a tiny person. She was calm, easygoing, and content to simply look around the room or nurse in her mama’s arms.

Brittany was a doting mother from the very beginning. Everleigh was deeply loved every second of her life.

She was healthy. Growing well. Gaining weight. Everything seemed normal.

At five weeks old, she gave Brittany her first real smile.

The next day, Memorial Day 2023, she died in her sleep from SIDS.

Our world shattered.

Especially Brittany’s.

There are losses that divide your life into “before” and “after,” and this was one of them.

We are still navigating that grief every single day. Some days are softer than others. Some dates still knock the wind out of us completely. This weekend will be especially hard.

But Everleigh mattered. She was here. She was loved. And she continues to leave fingerprints on the people who knew her. 🖤

05/23/2026

Sometimes grief comes quietly in the form of a wagging tail, a favourite spot on the couch, or the silence left behind after losing a beloved pet. 💛

We appreciated this thoughtful post shared by The Children's Grief Foundation of Canada, reminding us how important honesty, patience, and connection can be when supporting children through pet loss.

At Bow Valley Palliative, we believe every grief journey matters — including the ones that are sometimes overlooked. Small conversations, shared memories, and simply being present for one another can make a meaningful difference.

Because grief comes in many forms, and no one should have to carry it alone.

05/22/2026

⁉️🤔 What IS an end of life doula ⁉️🤔

05/20/2026

We thought it might be time to introduce the “We” in We’ll Sit With You. 🖤

I’m Mari, and beside me is my daughter, Brittany.

This work is deeply personal for both of us.

Brittany has spent the last three years working as a CNA in nursing and rehab facilities, as well as caring for people in their homes. She’s currently studying to become a nurse tech, but more than anything, she has a genuinely compassionate heart for people. She helped care for my mother during the end of her life, and she also carries the unimaginable grief of losing her daughter, Everleigh. Those experiences changed her, softened her, and deepened the way she shows up for others.

As for me, I’ve also worked as a CNA in both facilities and home settings, and I’ve spent years sitting with people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. My interest in end-of-life care began nearly 29 years ago after the death of my Granny. Her death went badly in ways that stayed with me for decades. It opened my eyes very early to how deeply the dying process affects not just the person leaving, but the family who has to carry those memories afterward.

Since then, I’ve spent years researching, learning, observing, grieving, caregiving, and trying to better understand death, dying, grief, advocacy, and the importance of how we care for people at the end of life.

Together, we believe no one should have to walk through death, dying, caregiving, or grief feeling unsupported or alone.

We created We’ll Sit With You because we believe death deserves more honesty, more gentleness, less fear, and more support for both the dying and the people who love them.

This space is for conversations most people avoid.
For education.
For comfort.
For presence.
For grief.
For humanity.

Before. During. After.

We’re glad you’re here. 🖤

05/19/2026

Let's talk about who you lost. Why were they special to you?

05/19/2026