A Child Life Specialist Talks Dying, Death, and MAiD: Disrupting Death with Ceilidh Eaton Russell

In the context of any kind of illness, whether it's the child's illness, a family member's illness, somebody's sudden death or MAiD, if we recognise that children have these rights to access information and to express themselves, it's very hard to justify not giving them a choice about having information. In this episode, Kathy and Keri-Lyn have the great pleasure and privilege of speaking with Ceilidh Eaton Russell, a Certified Child Life Specialist and a Grief Counsellor with a PhD in Family Relations and Human Development from the University of Guelph. Ceilidh is a Lecturer in Child Life and Paediatric Psychosocial Care at McMaster University, a Research Fellow with the Association for Child Life Professionals, and Child Life Lead for Canadian Virtual Hospice. Since 2001, Ceilidh has worked as a clinician and a researcher in children’s hospital and community-based palliative care and grief settings, supporting children, young people, and families living with serious illness, dying and death. Ceilidh’s clinical work weaves together her background and training in child and family development, psycho-education, creative and therapeutic play, and informs her approach to understanding and supporting each child and young person’s unique perspective, strengths, needs, and priorities as they navigate experiences of grief and loss. Her research focuses on children’s, adolescents’ and parents’ grief experiences, relationships, and communication in the context of serious illness, death, and grief. She has written handbooks for families about communication with a dying child, as well as supporting grieving children and young people. In her work with Canadian Virtual Hospice, she led the creation of therapeutic activity books for children living with their own or someone else’s serious illness, dying, and death. Music for Disrupting Death was created by the ever-lovely Sarah McInnis. Sarah is a music therapist, a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist and End-of-Life Doula. In 2021, Sarah began The Legacy Song Project, writing original songs for folks at the end-of-life, and for folks who have lost loved ones. To learn more about Sarah, visit her website https://sarahmcinnis.com. This episode of Disrupting Death was produced by Keri-Lyn Durant and Sadie Mallon.