mother and daughter

Bereavement Program

Providing support after a death.

Journeying with you

Intermountain Children's Health bereavement program offers support and education to families after the death of their child. In addition to the support offered on a child's dying day, outreach continues in the form of grief educational mailings, outreach phone calls, meetings with clinicians, and grief groups for parents and siblings.

As you and your family journey through grief and mourning, we are a supportive partner. Please feel free to call us at (801) 662-3778 or email us at any time to talk about your child and how we can support you in your grief.

Including your kids in Valentines Day

Bereavement at Primary Children's Hospital

Primary Children's Hospital offers additional bereavement support to grieving families through mailings and phone contact in the year after a child's death, and offers an annual Memorial Tribute held each May, along with summer camps for kids ages 7-17.

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Support groups

Primary Children's offers a variety of support groups free of charge to parents and families who have experienced the death of a child. You will meet other parents who have had children die, and you will have the opportunity to share and learn with them. The groups are led by trained professionals who will provide additional tools to help you cope with your grief. Contact us at pc-griefsupport@imail.org for details

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Grief camps

We recognize the effect grief has on children and their families. We have partnered with Comfort Zone Camp to provide a therapeutic grief camp for kids ages 7-17. Comfort Zone Camp is three day and two night program featuring confidence and resilience building activities that break the emotional isolation that grief often brings. Grief camp supports the mission of Intermountain Children's Health in putting “The Child First and Always”.

Summer/Fall 2024 there are three camp options:

  • August 9th-August 11th at Camp Kostopulos, 4180 E Emigration Canyon Road, Salt Lake City, UT
  • August 16th-August 18th at Big Canyon, 175 Big Canyon Lane, Wanship, UT
  • September 27th - 29th at Camp Kostopulous, 4180 E Emigration Canyon Road, Salt Lake City, UT

If you are interested in having your child participate in camp, or to learn more about camp, please visit Comfort Zone Camp’s website at https://comfortzonecamp.org/

National Resources

Helpful Books

The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr

Cuddle Bear by Claire Freedman and Gavin Scott

Something Very Sad Happened by Bonnie Zucker 

The Purple Balloon by Chris Raschka

I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

I Miss You by Pat Thomas and Chester Raccoon

Acorn Full of Memories by Audrey Penn

Where's Jess? by Marvin Johnson

Death is Stupid by Anastasia Higginbotham

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes

Where Are You? by Laura Oliveri

Ida, Always by Caron Levis

Gentle Willow by Joyce C. Mills

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Always My Brother by Jean Reagan

Everett Anderson's Goodbye by Lucille Clifton

When Someone Very Special Dies by Marge Heegard

Cat Heaven and Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley

The Memory String by Eve Bunting

When a Friend Dies by Marilyn E. Gootman

Fire In My Heart, Ice In My Veins by Enid Samuel

Traisman Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens by Alan D. Wolfelt

When Death Walks In by Mark Scrivani

Chill + Spill by Steffanie Lorig and Jeanean Jacobs

Weird is Normal: When Teenagers Grieve by Jenny Lee Wheeler

Tear Soup by Pat Schwiebert

A Broken Heart Still Beats by Anne McCracken and Mary Semel

Surviving the Loss of a Child by Elizabeth B. Brown

Grief One Day at a Time by Alan D. Wolfelt

Beyond Tears: Living after Losing a Child by Ellen Michell, Rita Volpe, Ariella Long, Phyllis Levine, et. al

After the Darkest Hour the Sun Will Shine Again: A Parent's Guide to Coping with the Loss of a Child by Elizabeth Mehren

Healing a Grandparent's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas after Your Grandchild Dies by Alan D. Wolfelt

Grandparents Cry Twice: Help for Bereaved Grandparents by Mary Lou Reed

A Grandparent's Sorrow by Pat Schwiebert

Healing After Loss: Daily Meditation for Working Through Grief by Martha Whitmore Hickman