Taboo topics are often unaddressed due to the uncomfortable feelings they can sometimes produce.
However, end-of-life doula, Julie Handrahan is taking the taboo topic of death, and inviting community members to have heartfelt conversations about the subject.
“It's just allowing people to have that conversation in a safe space,” Handrahan said.
Hosted at the Cochrane Public Library, Handrahan is inviting residents to join her at the “Dying for Conversation” event that will be hosted once a month starting Jan. 13 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Additional dates include Feb. 10 and Mar. 9.
Working in the healthcare field, Handrahan said she noticed a gap that needed to be filled for those diagnosed with terminal illnesses.
“Essentially there is a real need for somebody to help navigate that system,” she said. “Whether it's emotional or just by helping people process what's happening with their diagnosis.”
Wanting to provide a safe space for people to address the end-of-life topic, Handrahan approached the public library with the idea.
Starting the “Dying for Conversation” event over a year ago, Handrahan said it has been well received from those who join the conversation.
“It's a safe space but it's one where we just sit down and I bring out certain topics and we have a conversation around it,” Handrahan said. “It's really beautiful to see people’s different perspectives, and there's laughter, sometimes there's tears, but it's just having a conversation and normalizing it.”
Handrahan said the topic of death has been medicalized, taking it out of the home and society. She said being an end-of-life doula helps to bring the discussion around death back, normalizing the natural progression of life.
According to Handrahan, doulas provide those grieving with an opportunity to openly express their emotions without judgement.
“I'm not a family member or a close friend, so it allows for an opportunity for people to really share what they're going through,” Handrahan said. “Give them permission to have a certain conversation, to be their cheerleader in a sense.”
Handrahan believes being a doula is her calling. She hopes to provide the best journey for those whose time on earth is about to come to an end.
With advanced care planning at the forefront of her care, Handrahan said it helps make going through the grieving process a little bit easier.
Handrahan said she handles the emotional burden of the role with the knowledge that she has provided those in her care with the best outcome possible.
“When people are healthy, that's the best time to have the conversation,” she said. “I get through it knowing that I've given that person their last days on earth the best possible journey that they could have.”
