Always With Me: Parents talk about the death of a child

Overview

How does a parent cope after the death of a child? Each essay in Always With Me: Parents Talk about the Death of a Child reveals the experiences of parents who have lived through the devastation and upheaval of their child’s death. Parents describe the maelstrom they face in their inner landscapes, coping strategies, and realigned place in the world. The writers in this collection of stories take on such topics as shock and isolation, despair, guilt, and how they attempt to make sense of their shattered lives. They offer insights into how their grief and loss are worked through, and why certain personal connections are severed, others strengthened. Importantly, they describe how, with lives altered indelibly, they try to press forward to find a new place in the world.

Reviews

"The death of one's child is possibly the harshest blow life can deliver. This extraordinary anthology offers diverse perspectives on how and why parents survive the pain of their child's death. It is aimed at general readers, other survivors, and those who work with grieving families. The book is sad but not depressing. Read it in small doses to fully appreciate the depths of parental love, sorrow, remorse, and yearning represented here." â€â€ÂDeborah Yaffe, Senior Instructor Emerita, University of Victoria 

"This book is a gift to all of us. The collection of vignettes takes us into the centre of the heartbreaking and unimaginable pain that parents who have lost children live through as they try to make sense of a world where the natural order of things is gone. Raw, honest, and powerful, the stories cannot but make an impression on the reader. The book is instructive and filled with valuable lessons not only for those in the helping professionsâ€â€Âsocial workers, nurses, physicians, teachers, therapistsâ€â€Âbut also for the general public that needs to get past its discomfort with all parents' worst nightmare and learn how better to provide compassionate support to bereaved parents and their families."  â€â€ÂTherese Jennisen, Professor, School of Social Work, Carleton University 

"I was deeply moved by the immediacy of this book's stories, the candour of the writing. Between its pages, I found important insights on the nature of loss, grief, and hope. These heartfelt testimonies, so representative of what it means to be human, provide a close understanding of grieving. One by one, these stories change us for the better. As a health professional, I now feel closer to my fellow humans and more skilled to be there for them in times of profound pain. After the last word was read, I was left with a deep sense of compassion and gratitude for those who so generously shared their journey. True to its title, this book will always be with me." â€â€ÂRachel Thibeault, Ph.D. FCAOT, O.C., Sisyphus Resilience Consulting

Author Biography

Donna McCart Sharkey grew up in Montreal and now lives in Ottawa. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa and her research includes studies conducted with war affected girls and young women. Her research has been published in numerous academic journals and she has contributed to various anthologies. Prior to retirement, she was a professor at The State University of New York. She is the mother of Alessandra and Renata.