Sheri
Thompson

My path to death doula work was paved by accompanying my mother, father, and aunt through their final journeys — and what I witnessed along the way shaped everything about how I show up for clients today.

It began around Christmas of 2018, when all three of them started showing signs of decline at nearly the same time — my mama with dementia, my aunt with Alzheimer's, my dear old dad simply with the weight of old age. Along with my siblings, I stepped into every role the moment called for: care companion, advance care directive facilitator, advocate. I worked alongside physical therapists, nurses, ER personnel, hospital administrators, and medical staff. When it was time to bring hospice home, I was there for that too — helping administer morphine, cleaning bed and body, turning to prevent bed sores, and keeping vigil.

What I saw, consistently, was an urgent need for a dedicated advocate. Someone whose sole focus is the patient. Someone who shows up, pays attention, and speaks up.

It was only recently that I discovered there is an actual profession for the role I had been serving — and I wasted no time completing two training programs: one with Inelda.org, the second with IAP Career College.