Cultural Bereavement - Tida Beattie

When Tida Beattie's Thai immigrant parents died in 2019, she went from being a long-distance caregiver to an overwhelmed & grieving daughter. In her search for support, she found what so many do, a lack of culturally specific or informed resources. This experience motivated her to change this for others by creating spaces for immigrant families to receive support before and after a death. Tida is a Thai-American end-of-life doula, grief support facilitator, immigrant advocate, and co-founder of MESO, dedicated to supporting caregivers and those in grief with compassion and a cultural lens.  In this episode, we discuss: Growing up as a Thai-American and her family's experience of cultural bereavement. How her parents' immigrant experience informed their approach to end-of-life. What it was like to be a long-distance caregiver. Tida's search for culturally relevant grief support. The importance of acknowledging cultural bereavement. The goal and mission of MESO. Learning to hold both joy & grief.