Los Angeles Times My Mother Died in April of Cancer Coronavirus Robbed Us of Closure Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 19 August 2020 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Los Angeles Times My Mother Died in April of Cancer Coronavirus Robbed Us of Closure To reduce uncertainty after the death of a loved one during the onoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bronwen Jones, MTheol, an interfaith chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, encourages families to set a future date for a memorial. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Reporter Sarah Elizabeth Richards recently interviewed Bronwen Jones, MTheol, an interfaith chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, for a first-person Los Angeles Times article about the challenges and anguish of trying to process the cancer death of a loved one in the time of COVID-19 (coronavirus). In the article, Richards writes that she was struggling with how to grieve weeks after her mother died. "How could we mourn when we couldn't gather?" Richards asked Jones. Jones' response noted that the final weeks of a cancer patient's life are an important time for family members to "get the courage" to have intimate, hard conversations, the chaplain told the reporter. Richards' family lost that chance to talk to their mother about death. "You can't have those [conversations] when you can't visit," Jones said. Jones recommended that the reporter set a date for a "celebration of life" gathering, anticipating that at some point, friends and family will be able to assemble as a group. Even if that date isn't until next spring, it is important to get a date on the calendar. "People will feel better because [the gathering] is no longer uncertain," Jones said to Richards. The chaplain also recommended that those who lose family members during the pandemic make time to privately grieve and process the death of loved ones. Grieving in a timely manner is especially important when a death is unexpected, she said. Be creative when undertaking that process, Jones told the reporter. For example, light a candle during important moments or play music that a loved one especially liked. Talk to friends and share memories of your loved one. Also, find meaning in nature, such as feeling a loved one's presence in the form of a butterfly or a beautiful natural setting. "You just want to find a way to bring her into your heart, so you don't feel alone," Jones said. Click here to read the complete story from the Los Angeles Times. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Share this release Los Angeles Times My Mother Died in April of Cancer Coronavirus Robbed Us of Closure Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home