So, what do you say to someone who is dying? Or to someone who has recently lost a spouse, or a child to cancer? Conversations around death, dying, and grief can be awkward, painful, emotional, and difficult, but they can also lead to bittersweet intimacy and make all the difference.
As we age, more of our family members, friends, and neighbors are seriously ill, dying, or grieving. Whether you are a family member, friend, co-worker, or just an acquaintance, figuring out what to say and do in those situations can feel impossible. Out of discomfort, and “fear you might say the wrong thing”, you may even be tempted to turn away and avoid the conversation altogether. We hope after you attend this session, you won’t turn away. This community conversation is designed to offer support and help you prepare so that your words, and your presence may offer much needed comfort during challenging times. And as we all become better prepared, our community becomes stronger and more resilient.
We are so very fortunate to have an outstanding panel of five compassionate professional women with diverse experience with death, dying, and grieving, to facilitate our conversation.
Paula Sansum
Paula is a retired healthcare provider and long-time community member. For many years, she has provided a variety of end-of-life services and support to individuals and their families. She advocates for hospice services and a person’s right to have agency over all aspects of life, including dying.
Margo Lalich, MPH, BA, RN
Margo’s work spans nursing, public health leadership, and community-based end-of-life care, including two decades as a disaster / humanitarian response nurse. This informed her skill with being with death and dying, personally and professionally. As co-founder of the North Coast End-of-life Collective and a long-time local resident, she helps communities explore death and dying as a shared human experience through A Collective Approach to Death and Dying.
Janine Carranza RN
Janine has been a hospice nurse for 31 years and is the author of the book, “ Bedside Portraits”.
Cami Aufdermauer
Cami is Hospice Chaplain for Adventist Health in Tillamook, where she has supported over 75 families in the past year through the end-of-life journey. Cami offers spiritual care, emotional support, and compassionate presence to patients and their loved ones - regardless of faith background - helping them navigate some of life’s most sacred and difficult moments. She holds a master’s degree in human services with a focus on Marriage and Family Counseling and has completed over 1600 hours of clinical pastoral education. With deep empathy and a heart for community, Cami is passionate about helping people feel seen, heard, and held as they face life’s final chapters.
Morgan Motsinger
Morgan is an entrepreneur, host of the “P.S. we expire” podcast, speaker, writer and student. She is currently studying psychology and neuroscience at Portland State University. Herself a bereaved mother of 2 years, Morgan and has a big heart for families navigating childhood illness, disability and bereavement. She has spoken with hundreds of families with special needs kids, and cares deeply about the mental health impact of facing a difficult diagnosis, and grief and loneliness for caregivers.
Location: Pine Grove Community Center, Manzanita, OR
Cost: $5.00 donation at the door