Journeying with You
Primary Children's Hospital 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, grief groups for parents and siblings, and our annual Memorial Tribute held each May. We also sponsor summer camps for children ages 7-17.
The hospital's bereavement program tracks resources in the five states that Primary Children's serves including Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. 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.
Resources for Patients & Families
Local Resources
Primary Children's Hospital Bereavement Program serves Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. Specific therapeutic resources for grief are available in most areas. Please contact us for specific local resources.
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. The next support group will be in Fall of 2024. Please check back for the exact dates in August.
Primary Children’s Hospital recognizes the affect grief has on children and their families. As part of our Bereavement Program 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 Primary Children's Hospital 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
National Alliance for Grieving Children
The Compassionate Friends - Supporting Family after a Child Dies
National Alliance on Mental Illness
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children
Actively Moving Forward - Connecting and Empowering Grieving College Students
Helpful Books
Books for Infants/Toddlers
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
Books for Pre-School Children
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
Books for School-Age Children
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
Books for Teens
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
Books for Parents
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
Books for Grandparents
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