If you died tomorrow, you’d want your family to meet Debbie Brown.
Everyone must die someday. But after you have passed on, to whom do those you left behind turn for support? Few can fully comprehend the devastation of a family member’s passing, making necessary Brown’s job as bereavement coordinator at Augusta Medical Center’s Hospice of the Shenandoah. Debbie Brown has mastered an art that seems more like a privilege than a job — providing grief counseling to family members of former hospice patients.
| From the Author: For every person who dies, dozens more are left behind. Debbie Brown has the unique job of turning grief into solace, of consoling the living about the dead. As bereavement coordinator for the Augusta Medical Center's Hospice of the Shenandoah, she uses personal attention through visits and listening to grant family members an outlet they might need after a patient's passing on. But it is not only adults who need comfort and understanding. Brown also is the director of Camp Dragonfly, a grief camp for children ages 6 to 18. The camp's message is that it is acceptable to grieve, but also OK to have fun — there is no rush to grow up. The camp that almost never came to be is now in its 8th summer, with more participants than ever before. For a more in-depth look at the life as a bereavement coordinator, Curio online presents Camp Dragonfly video, photos and a first-hand account of a visit with Brown. Also, see the related story about grief counseling in the JMU community. |
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the Augusta Medical Center:
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