Do You Know How to Support Someone Facing Death?

Angelo Merendino aka Jennifer's Husband 

As a member of the healthcare community and the human race, I am witness to the fact that we are ill-equipped to know how to confront death or stand with someone who is facing it.  It's not that people do not care, but more that they do not know how to care.  We don't know how to care because we allow our fear to rule the journey.  We are so afraid to think about death that we do not talk about it, plan for it, or know how to see it through when given the opportunity.  This coming Thursday our topic on Senior Agenda will be "Confronting Death." We will examine two issues: 1) How to be supportive when someone we love is facing death and 2) How to talk to our children about death and dying.

At the top of the hour we will be interviewing Angelo Merendino who documented his wife's battle with cancer through a series of black and white photos in part because they were searching for a way to help their friends and loved ones stay involved.  Angelo wrote the following in his digital book called "The Battle We Didn't Choose" which is now available on his web site:

"Hospital stays of 10-plus days were not uncommon.  Frequent doctor visits led to battles with insurance companies.  Fear, anxiety and worries were constant.  Sadly, most people do not want to hear these realities and at certain points we felt our support fading away.  Other cancer survivors share this loss.  People assume that treatment makes you better, that things become OK, that life goes back to 'normal.' However, there is no normal in cancer-land. "  To learn more about this powerful story,  follow them on facebook and listen to Senior Agenda this week.  

We can learn to confront death if we work together and allow ourselves to learn from one another. We will all experience it.  It is one of those ties that bind.  The experience transcends all of our differences and has the potential to bring us closer together if we get can find a way to be brave enough to have these discussions. There are no do overs so it is imperative that we get it right when it presents.