Dearly Loved
Dealing with the Death of a Parent
By the Calgary Health Region Grief Support Center

In this short trigger film, three young adults talk frankly and movingly about what it has been like to experience the death of a parent. Leona, whose father died of an unexpected heart attack while she was on a trip, describes how important it was for her to be able to spend time alone with his body at the funeral home, yet she still seems dazed, and does not appear to have fully come to terms with what has happened. Neal had been particularly close to his mother, who died after a protracted illness. In the first weeks after her death he felt little — then he broke down, feeling inert, depressed, lacking in motivation for a considerable time. Carol Lee and her family had to make the decision to withdraw life support for her dying father, then remained with him as he died. "We needed to see the finality of it," she says. She was unable to sleep for weeks, yet as the oldest, she felt that the expectation of her Caribbean culture was that she should "get over it," and take care of the needs of the rest of her family. Other issues they all reflect on include the unhelpful responses of others, what it's been like to experience holidays after the loss, the need to take sufficient time to grieve, and the impact on relationships with the surviving parent and siblings.

13 minutes
© 2005
Purchase $129 VHS / Purchase $159 DVD
Order No. QA-447
ISBN (VHS) 1-57295-447-7
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-836-7

Awards & Conference Screenings
Western Psychological Association
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization

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