We, the staff of Michigan Medicine, wish to extend our condolences to you. We hope this information will be helpful for you and your family throughout the many transitions that lie ahead.
This page is intended to provide information and support for the death of a child in the hospital. For information about the death of an adult, visit Grief Support Following the Death of a Loved One on UofMHealth.org. For support following pregnancy loss, visit Loss of a Desired Pregnancy on the Von Voigtlander Women's site.
Bereavement Resources at Michigan Medicine
The following items are resources created for Michigan Medicine families.
Upon the Death of Your Child
Upon the Death of Your Loved One
Celebrating the Children of Mott
A Walk to Remember and Tree-Planting Memorial
Always Remembered: A Bereavement Giving Library
Developmental needs of children at various ages were considered in the selection of the books and family members who have experienced the loss of a child were involved in the selection. Books for siblings are provided to families following a death while they are still at the hospital, but are also available to siblings of our Mott patients who die outside of the hospital. For more information, please contact the Office of Decedent Affairs #734-232-4919.
Community Resources for Grieving Friends and Family
Listed here are only some of the valuable resources that exist for family and friends who are grieving. If you’d like a list of resources that are specific to the type of loss you are experiencing or specific to the area that you live, please contact ODA by calling 734-232-4919.
Arbor Hospice
- Services provided: In-person support groups, one-time support programs, and virtual support groups
- Located in: Washtenaw County
Compassionate Friends
- Services provided: support groups, crisis hotline, private Facebook groups, online communities, family support, and general supportive information
- Located in: Chapters of Compassionate Friends exist throughout the country. Use the chapter navigator to find a chapter near your city.
Ele’s Place
- Services provided: bereavement support groups, school-based support, and additional help for parents
- Located in: Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, and Grand Rapids
Grievewell
- Services provided: Peer counseling and workshops
- Located in: Washtenaw County
New Hope
Proud Parents of Loss
Remembering Cherubs
Return to Zero
Recommended Reading
These lists of books and other resources were compiled by the Mott Bereavement Committee, a multi-disciplinary team of Mott staff and families dedicated to supporting bereaved families. Mott staff, as well as parents who have experienced a loss, have carefully reviewed the books on these lists. We encourage you to review these resources before reading or giving a book to a child to be certain the story and content are in line with your family’s values and beliefs.
We want to express our deepest sympathy to families who have experienced a loss and hope these recommended resources may bring you and your family some comfort.
Download the list of recommended reading resources for adults, children and teens.
For Adult Readers
- After the Darkest Hour the Sun Will Shine Again, by Elizabeth Mehren
- A Decembered Grief: Living with Loss While Others are Celebrating, by Harold Ivan Smith
- Empty Cradle, Broken Heart—Surviving the Death of Your Baby, by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D.
- Gone but Not Lost, Grieving the Death of a Child, by David W. Wiersbe
- Guiding Your Child Through Grief, by James Emswiler and Mary Ann Emswiler
- Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers, by Alan D. Wolfelt
- Healing After Loss, by Martha Whitmore Hickman
- Holiday Hope: Remembering Loved Ones During Special Times of the Year, by Fairview Press
- Knowing Jesse: A Mother’s Story of Grief, Grace and Everyday Bliss, by Marianne Leone
- Lessons in Loss and Living: Hope and Guidance for Confronting Serious Illness and Grief, by Michele A. Reiss, PhD
- On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope with Death, by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
- The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss, by George A. Bonanno
- Talking About Death, A Dialog Between Parent and Child, by Earl A. Grollman
- Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement, by Karen Gravelle and Charles Haskins
- When We Must Say Farewell, by Karl E. Jennings
- The Worst Loss: How Families Heal from the Death of a Child, by Barbara D. Rosof
For Child Readers
- The Goodbye Book, by Todd Parr
- Always and Forever, by Alan Durant
- I Miss You: A First Look at Death, by Pat Thomas
- Ida, Always, by Caron Levis
- Someone I Love Died, by Christine Harder Tangvald
- Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You, by Nancy Tillman
- What’s Heaven, by Maria Shriver
- Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids 100 Practical Ideas, by Alan D. Wolfelt Ph.D.
- Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss, by Michaelene Mundy
- What on Earth Do You Do When Some Dies, by Trevor Romain
- Gentle Willow, by Joyce C. Mills
- Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement, by Karen Gravelle and Charles Haskins
- Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens: 100 Practical Ideas, by Alan Wolfelt
- Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope, by Donna O’Toole
- Lifetimes--The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children, by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
Universal Loss Activity Books
- Muddles, Puddles, and Sunshine: Your Activity Book to Help When Someone Has Died (Early Years), by Diana Crossley
- When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief, by Marge Heegaard
- Help Me Say Goodbye: Activities for Helping Kids Cope When a Special Person Dies, by Janis Silverman
- Healing Your Grieving Heart JOURNAL for Teens, by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D. and Megan E. Wolfelt
- Help Me Say Goodbye, by Janice Silverman
Loss of Sibling
- Where’s Jess, by Joy and Marv Johnson with the Goldsteins-Heather, Ray and Jody
- Lost and Found—Remembering a Sister, by Ellen Yeomans
Infant Loss
- Something Happened, by Cathy Blanford
- We Were Gonna Have a Baby, But We Had an Angel Instead, by Pat Schwiebert
Traumatic Loss
- When Dinosaurs Die, by Laurie Krasny and Marc Brown
Loss of Classmate
- The Class in Room 44, by Lynn Bennett Blackburn
Online Resources
Modern Loss
- Modern Loss is a place to share the unspeakably taboo, unbelievably hilarious, and unexpectedly beautiful terrain of navigating your life after a death. Beginners welcome.
What’s Your Grief
Refuge in Grief
Dougy Center for Grieving Children
Podcasts
What’s Your Grief Podcast
Grief Out Loud
Terrible Thanks for Asking
Contact Us
The Office of Decedent Affairs (ODA) is part of the Michigan Medicine Department of Social Work. The ODA is the centralized point of contact at Michigan Medicine for ongoing questions and concerns before, during, and after the death of a loved one. To contact the Office of Decedent Affairs, call 734-232-4919 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may also email the ODA office at [email protected].