Jane Whitlock
My doula work includes providing the information and reassurance people need to plan and prepare for the end of life. I educate and support the dying and their loved ones at every step of the process, and I create and hold space for the sacred nature of this experience. I also train others to become end-of-life doulas.
I was drawn to this work after losing my husband, Rob, to cancer four years ago. He was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer at 49, and died four months later, on Christmas day. After his death I plunged into grief and struggled to take care of our two sons. I decided we needed to get away from our usual lives where his absence was so painful.
I ended up buying a camper and taking my sons on a seven-month road trip in a desperate attempt to help them heal by witnessing the beauty of the earth. We visited mountains, rain forests, oceans, and deserts. I emerged from this time with the realization that life is fleeting, finite, and more precious than I had realized.
I found myself drawn to all things involved with death and grief. As I reflected on my experience with Rob I came to realize the gaps in our experience with hospice. I began to see what would have helped. With time and healing I was drawn to becoming an end-of-life doula so I could support others as they walk this path. This works feels like the reason I’m here.
I am a certified End Of Life Doula, Elder Care Doula, and Care Consultant, trained by hospice nurse Suzanne B. O’Brien RN through her award-winning end-of-life doula training program, called Doulagivers®. I want to give everyone the ability and calm confidence to care for their friends and family at the end of life.
