We hope these grief resources will help you. They are provided for this purpose only. St. Jude is not responsible for the content of these publications, camps or other information.
If you would like more information or resources, please contact the grief support coordinator.
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Books
Coping with your Loss: A Grief Support Guide. May 2020
Seasons of Change: Stories of Hope After Loss. January 2019.
Podcast
Connecting Through Grief When a Child Dies
Legacy Bead Program
If you participated in the Legacy Bead program and would like a butterfly bead to complete your collection, submit a request.
Other Resources
Clark L. 9 tips for dealing with the loss of a child during the holidays. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/tips-for-grieving-parents-to-get-through-the-holidays/. Published December 14, 2017.
Clark L. In times of sorrow, being present to offer comfort and support often matters more than the right words or actions. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/offer-comfort-and-support-during-grief/. Published October 12, 2017.
O’Brien M, O’Brien M, O’Brien M, O’Brien ME. Wish You Were Here: A Grief Journal for Teens.
Powers M. When friends die: Helping teen cancer patients navigate loss. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/helping-teens-navigate-loss/. Published December 7, 2017.
Helping your preschool child cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-preschool-child-cope-with-death.html.
Helping your school-age child cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-school-age-child-cope-with-death.html.
Helping your teenager cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-teenager-cope-with-death.html.
Teen cancer patients may benefit from more support. https://www.stjude.org/research/news-publications/research-highlights/2017-research-highlights/teen-cancer-patients-may-benefit-from-more-support.html.
More than words: Communicating with family, friends and co-workers experiencing sorrow. https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/volunteer-at-the-hospital/how-to-become-a-volunteer/individual-volunteer-opportunities/qualifications/volunteer-services-resource-library/communicating-with-family-friends-and-co-workers-experiencing-so.html.
Grief and the holidays. https://www.stjude.org/content/dam/en_US/shared/www/patient-support/grief-and-the-holidays.pdf.
Walker EJ. Bereaved parent mentors offer lessons from the heart. St. Jude Promise. 2018; Winter. https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/promise-magazine/winter-2018/bereaved-parent-mentors-offer-lessons-from-the-heart.html.
Walker EJ. 6 ways to help teen patients navigate loss. St. Jude Promise. 2018; Spring. https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/promise-magazine/spring-2018/6-ways-to-help-teen-patients-navigate-loss.html
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Books
Beall-Sullivan C. Hi, my name is Jack. Park City, Utah: Bopar Books; 2000.
Bergren LT and Bryant LJ. God gave us heaven. Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press; 2008.
DeBay K. The grief bubble: helping kids explore and understand grief. Limitless Press LLC; 2007.
Lindholm AB, Schuurman DL, Hoff JS, et al. After a death: an activity book for children. The Dougy Center for Grieving Children; 2007.
Mellonie B. Lifetimes: the beautiful way to explain death to children. New York, New York: Bantam Books; 1983.
Meng C. Always remember. Penguin Publishing Group; 2016.
Mundy M. Sad isn’t bad. Open Road Media; 2014.
Neimark J. The hugging tree: a story about resilience. American Psychological Association; 2015.
O’Toole D. Aarvy Aardvark finds hope: a read aloud story for people of all ages about loving and losing, friendship and hope. Mountain Rainbow Publications; 1989.
Temes R. The empty place: a child's guide through grief. New Horizon Press; 1992.
White PG. Sibling grief: healing after the death of a sister or brother. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse; 2006.
Other Resources
That Dragon, Cancer. http://www.thatdragoncancer.com/#home.
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Books
Dower L. I will remember you: what to do when someone you love dies—a guidebook through grief for teens. Scholastic Paperbacks; 2001.
Gootman ME. When a friend dies: a book for teens about grieving and healing. Minneapolis, Minnestota: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.; 1994.
Hyatt EG. Grieving for the sibling you lost: a teen’s guide to coping with grief and finding meaning after loss. Oakland, California: Instant Help Books; 2015.
Other resources
Actively Moving Forward. https://healgrief.org/actively-moving-forward/. 2018.
Monks A. How loss helped one artist find beauty in imperfection. [TEDtalk video]. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University; 2015.
National Alliance for Grieving Children. https://childrengrieve.org/. 2017.
O’Brien M, O’Brien M, O’Brien M, O’Brien ME. Wish You Were Here: A Grief Journal for Teens.
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Books
Richmond M. The gift of a memory: a keepsake to commemorate the loss of a loved one. Sourcebooks, Incorporated; 2001.
Other Resources
Care for the Family. https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/family-life/bereavement-support.
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Books
Bickel B and Jantz S. God is in the hard stuff. Barbour Books; 2005.
Biden J. Promise me, Dad: a year of hope, hardship, and purpose. Flatiron Books; 2017.
Ellis TM. This thing called grief: new understandings of loss. Syren Book Company; 2006.
Field RE. The 4 facets of grief: heal your heart, rebuild your world, and find new pathways to joy. Amazon Digital Services, LLC; 2017.
Horsley G and Horsley H. Open to hope: inspirational stories of healing after loss. Heritage Builders, LLC; 2018.
Lewis CS. A grief observed. New York, New York: HarperCollins; 1989. (Reprint)
Mehren E. After the darkest hour the sun will shine again: a parent’s guide to coping with the loss of a child. New York, New York: Fireside; 1997.
Mitchell E, Volpe R, Long A, et al. Beyond tears: living after losing a child. New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press; 2009.
Miller A. You are the mother of all mothers. Wise Ink Creative Publishing; 2014.
Negrette S. Not your usual grief book: how to heal while connecting with your child who died. Amazon Digital Services, LLC; 2017.
Wiersbe DW. Gone but not lost: grieving the death of a child. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books; 2011.
Wolfelt A. Healing a parent’s grieving heart: 100 practical ideas after your child dies. Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press; 2002.
Young WP. The shack: where tragedy confronts eternity. Windblown Media; 2007.
Zuba T. Permission to mourn: a new way to do grief. Bish Press; 2014.
Other Resources
Walker EJ. Bereaved parent mentors offer lessons from the heart. St. Jude Promise. 2018; Winter. https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/promise-magazine/winter-2018/bereaved-parent-mentors-offer-lessons-from-the-heart.html.
A Mother's Chorus: Grieving a Child on Mother's Day. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grieving-a-child/. 2019.
Newland M. The give and take of grief. National Public Radio (NPR) website. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95536681. Published January 12, 2008.
Courageous Parents Network. https://courageousparentsnetwork.org/. 2017.
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Books
Gerner MH. For bereaved grandparents. Centering Corporation; 1990.
Wolfelt A. Healing a grandparent's grieving heart: 100 practical ideas after your grandchild dies. Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press; 2014.
Other Resources
Mealer P. Healing my soul after my grandchild’s death. The Mighty. https://themighty.com/2018/01/grieving-grandchilds-death-heal-soul/. Published January 18, 2018.
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Books
Devine M, Nepo M. It’s ok that you’re not ok. Sounds True; 2017.
Harvey G. Grieving for dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc; 2007.
Roe G. Please be patient, I’m grieving: how to care for and support the grieving heart. CreateSpace Publishing; 2016.
Sandberg S. Option B: facing adversity, building resilience, and finding joy. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf; 2017.
Other Resources
DeCristafaro J. Grief Out Loud. [Podcast/Audio]. Portland, Oregon: The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families.
What’s your grief. https://whatsyourgrief.com/.
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Books
Fitzgerald H. The grieving child: a parent's guide. New York, New York: Fireside; 2003.
Wolfelt A. A child's view of grief: a guide for parents, teachers, and counselors. Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press; 2004.
Other Resources
Powers M. When friends die: Helping teen cancer patients navigate loss. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/helping-teens-navigate-loss/. Published December 7, 2017.
Walker E. 6 ways to help teen patients navigate loss. St. Jude Promise. 2018; Spring. https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/promise-magazine/spring-2018/6-ways-to-help-teen-patients-navigate-loss.html
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Helping your preschool child cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-preschool-child-cope-with-death.html.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Helping your school-age child cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-school-age-child-cope-with-death.html.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Helping your teenager cope with death. https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/caregiver-resources/patient-family-education-sheets/child-life/helping-teenager-cope-with-death.html.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Teen cancer patients may benefit from more support. https://www.stjude.org/research/news-publications/research-highlights/2017-research-highlights/teen-cancer-patients-may-benefit-from-more-support.html.
The Dougy Center. Helping teens cope with death. The Dougy Center; 1999.
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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. More than words: Communicating with family, friends and co-workers experiencing sorrow. https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/volunteer-at-the-hospital/how-to-become-a-volunteer/individual-volunteer-opportunities/qualifications/volunteer-services-resource-library/communicating-with-family-friends-and-co-workers-experiencing-so.html.
Clark L. In times of sorrow, being present to offer comfort and support often matters more than the right words or actions. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/offer-comfort-and-support-during-grief/. Published October 12, 2017.
Stephens P. What I wish more people understood about losing a child. Mindbodygreen relationships. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17928/what-i-wish-more-people-understood-about-losing-a-child.html. Published March 23, 2015.
Crowe K and McDowell E. There is no good card for this: what to say and do when life is scary, awful, and unfair to people you love. HarperCollins; 2017.
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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Grief and the holidays. https://www.stjude.org/content/dam/en_US/shared/www/patient-support/grief-and-the-holidays.pdf. Published October 2016.
National Alliance for Grieving Children. Holiday toolkit: Supporting grieving children during the season of family. https://indd.adobe.com/view/c3379af8-b35d-4ea3-aa85-92d43073ecf6. Published 2017.
Clark L. 9 tips for dealing with the loss of a child during the holidays. St. Jude Progress. https://blogs.stjude.org/progress/tips-for-grieving-parents-to-get-through-the-holidays/. Published December 14, 2017.
Devine M. How to support grieving people during the holidays. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-ok-youre-not-ok/201712/how-support-grieving-people-during-the-holidays. Published December 21, 2017.
Noel B. Surviving Holidays, Birthdays and anniversaries: a guide to grieving during special occasions. Sourcebooks, Incorporated; 2004.
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Walker EJ. Mentores de padres en duelo ofrecen lecciones desde el corazón. https://espanol.stjude.org/acerca-de-st-jude/historias/historias-inspiradoras/mentores-de-padres-en-duelo-ofrecen-lecciones-desde-el-corazon.html.
Libros
Cómo Afrontar La Pérdida: Una guía de ayuda para el duelo (Mayo 2020)
Estaciones de Cambio: Historias de esperanza después de una pérdida (Enero 2019)
Copelin A. Me amarás aun cuando…CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2012.
Gutierrez AR. Aprendiendo a vivir sin ti…CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2016.
Johnson J. Los ninos mueren tambien. Centering Corporation; 2004.
Rittner M. Aprendiendo a decir adios. Debolsillo; 2016.
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Coalition to Support Grieving Students. https://grievingstudents.org/. 2018.
Winston's Wish. https://podtail.com/en/podcast/winston-s-wish/. 2017.
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Camp Sunshine: Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine provides retreats combining respite, recreation and support, while enabling hope and promoting joy, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through the various stages of a child’s illness. Camp Sunshine's program is offered year-round and has the distinction of having been designed to serve the entire family in a retreat model. The program is free of charge to families and includes on-site medical support. A bereavement camps are also offered for families who have experienced the death of a child from a life-threatening illness.
Comfort Zone Camp: Comfort Zone Camp is a nonprofit organization that provides age-based support groups for children and young adults (ages 5-25) who have experienced the death of a loved one. Camps are free of charge and are held year-round in locations across the United States.
Camp Good Grief: Camp Good Grief was founded in 1999 as the first bereavement camp in the Memphis area. These camps provide a therapeutic experience for children and teens (ages 6-16) who have had a sibling or parent die. Attendance at these camps are free of charge. If you are in the Memphis, TN area and would like more information, call (901) 767-6767.
Camp HOPE: Camp HOPE was established in 1989 by a couple grieving the loss of their daughter. These camps are offered in the spring and fall of each year in Rosholt, WI. Campers range in age from 5-18. Retreats are offered to parents of campers where they can explore their own grief while enjoying massage therapy options, canoeing and hiking trips, arts and crafts, and the chance to create meaningful friendships with other bereaved parents.
Camp Erin: Camp Erin gives children who are grieving the death of a loved one a chance to enjoy traditional summer camp activities while being surrounded by other children who have felt the same loss. Held in both Los Angeles and Orange County, CA, these camps are only available during three weekends each summer and camp sessions are free of charge to camp participants.
Camp Conquer: Camp Conquer is a three-day camp located in Anna, TX that offers grief support for children (ages 8-14). Children explore their grief through play and work interactions, helping them realize safe outlets for healing and expression.
Stepping Stones of Hope: Stepping Stones of Hope is a nonprofit organization that offers camp experiences for children (ages 6-18) as well as camps for families and adults. These camps are located throughout Arizona and prices range from $20 to $50 per session, per participant.
Faith's Lodge: Faith's Lodge is a retreat located in Danbury, WI, that supports parents and families of deceased children and also those who are facing the death or medically complex condition of a child. Faith's Lodge provides a peaceful escape for families to refresh their minds and spirits. Families of bereaved children and families of terminally ill children are organized into separate groups to encourage positive sessions with those who are sympathetic to their experiences. Programming weekends can accommodate up to eight families or eight couples and rates vary from $99 to $249 per night.
Camp Nate: Camp Nate is a week-long Christian-focused camp that is located in the Collegiate Mountain Range in Buena Vista, CO. Serving as a place for families to regain hope after the loss of a child to cancer, this camp offers families a way to rebuild through a variety of activities such as white water rafting, horseback riding, swimming, rock climbing and more.