My grief has taught me to understand others grief


Tools for finding hope along the journey: Understanding others


Have you ever thought of a time before the death of your loved one, when someone you knew had lost someone? Did you know just the right thing to say? Did you know just what to do to make things better? Or did you say something that was not helpful or maybe not the most sensitive? I know that there have been many times in the past where I did not understand someone else’s grief or really grief in general. I am now more sensitive…but what a high price to pay.

Artwork by Tanya Lord
About the Artist

Tanya Lord was a special education teacher when Noah died. After his death she read The Institute of Medicine’s report To Err Is Human and realized that the errors responsible for her son’s death were not unique. This created a desire and determination to better understand and work towards improving health care. Currently she has completed a master’s degree in public health and a PhD in clinical and population health research and is completing a post-doctoral fellowship. Lord shares her personal and professional experiences in presentations and workshops for medical staff and students focusing on the importance of effective communication with patients before and after an error. She also is a co-founder of The Grief Toolbox (www.thegrieftoolbox.com), which offers tools to help those along the grief journey. Lord may be contacted at [email protected]