Heather has dedicated the past 25 years to compassionate care, starting as an educator and counselor for students and their families. Connecting with people on a profound, human level is where she has found her true calling. Being present for others during the sacred moments at the end of life and filling them with humility and gratitude.
“Every life tells a story and we should honour it’s final chapter with love and compassion.”
Heather is an End of Life Doula, a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. She holds fast to the belief that death and dying are natural aspects of life and when approached thoughtfully, can offer opportunities for meaning, healing, and profound connection.
After years of volunteer work in hospice and palliative care, Heather began pursuing her career as a Death Doula and began with training at Home Hospice Association.
The biggest question that is often asked to Heather is: “What is a Death Doula?”
End-of-life doulas offer companionship, comfort, and guidance to individuals facing terminal illness or approaching death. Our comprehensive non-medical support addresses emotional, spiritual, and practical needs, providing resources to help both the dying person and their loved ones make informed decisions in a nurturing environment. Doulas are available throughout various stages: during life-changing illnesses, following a terminal diagnosis, as death approaches, and even afterward to offer gentle grief support. Sometimes, it's the family members or close companions who seek solace and advice from end-of-life doulas. By normalizing end-of-life care, doulas foster open conversations that enhance communication and promote spiritual and emotional well-being. Planning for one's death empowers individuals to maintain autonomy over their choices and clearly articulate their wishes to their family and loved ones.
While end-of-life doulas may go by different names like death doula, death midwife, death coach, or end-of-life coach, our shared goal remains consistent: to provide compassionate care throughout the dying process.
Heather choose the image of the damselfly as it symbolizes wisdom, change, adaptability and transformation.
Just as death is not an end, merely a transformation.
Where to find Heather:
The last conversation you want to have shouldn’t be the last one you do have. The When You Die Project is focused on facilitating a cultural dialogue most often avoided — one that begins at the end. We believe talking about death isn’t dangerous but, conversely, can nurture happier, healthier individuals and families who approach death informed, inspired, and with a sense of humor.
The way we live has progressed immensely since the industrial age, yet the way we die has stayed largely the same. Many of the changes that have developed — such as 80% of people dying in hospitals — seem to us to be the opposite of progress. We believe it’s time for a death revolution and that the best way to start that revolution is simply by talking.
The When You Die project is the host to podcasts, resources, social media pages, and at it’s heart a documentary trilogy about what happens when we die.
The When You Die trilogy seeks to foster good conversations around death by de-mystifying the dying process by reducing our fear of death through knowledge. With insight and humor, these topics are explored with leading clinicians who have spent their careers at the bedside, researchers studying the nature of consciousness, and personal stories of love and loss. Discussing what happens when we die with curiosity and compassion allows death to become a more accessible part of life.
Chapter 1:
In The Realm of Death & Dreaming: Does Consciousness Continue After Death?
The first film in the trilogy brings viewers on a journey to discover if consciousness continues after death by exploring personal stories of near-death experiences, deathbed visions, scientific insights, and more.
*A screening of this film will be shown on June 7th as a part of a special Legacy Expo Event.