My name is Jackie Eberle, and I am a retired secretary who also received a Grief Support Specialist Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016. Since 2013, I have volunteered as a Spiritual Care Screen at Aurora West Allis Medical Center, and since 2014, I have volunteered at Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, first as a co-facilitator for a grief support group, and most recently, a grief support caller for loved ones of patients who passed away at the hospice. Both of these jobs are challenging as these individuals are grieving in different ways; a hospitalized patient may be coping with a temporary loss of freedom, depending on their respective diagnosis; a surviving loved one is grieving not only for the loss of his or her loved one, but also their previous lives, in that they must make changes ranging from selling the family home to just getting used to life without their loved one.

For over 20 years, I worked with mentally challenged adults at the MIlwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Day Treatment. While they face challenges daily due to their illness, they also try the best they can to live life to the fullest. My proudest moments were times when I witnessed firsthand a client’s transformation from someone who was barely able to function upon admission to becoming an independent person who is able to face life’s challenges the best they can and succeed upon discharge.

I want to use this blog to help readers face their situations with grief in all its forms, whether it involves a loved one’s death or facing health challenges.