Meet the Person Behind The Doula Advocate
Hello Sunraysia Community, I am the proud Founder and practicing
End of Life Doula of
"The Doula Advocate"
Having lived in the Sunraysia district for the last 30 years, I am excited to give back and be of service to help individuals and families experiencing life events where I have also found myself.
Believing I have the life experience and community service background drives me to want to help those within our community. Either individually with support or educationally via resources to help make informed decisions about 'dying well'.
At the age of just ten, my world felt as though it had changed forever with the news my much-loved Uncle John had died from a lethal gun shot. The confronting sight of seeing all of my loved ones standing alongside me at graveside in absolute heartache, was one of my first memories of death. The most profound time for me to question life & death of all that matters. With the love and support of an incredible father and extended family I was able to navigate those feelings and understand them.
12 years later, I held the hand of my maternal grandfather Herbert at his home as he drifted, from this world to the next. My daughter and I held my maternal grandmother's hand as she closed her eyes for the last time many years after.
Family was my absolute rock of strength after the full-term stillbirth of our first grandchild at our family home in 2010.
As my father's wishes I with support of beautiful family cared for him at his home until he died from terminal metastatic cancer in 2012.
Three years later my mother suddenly left this world for the next.
My role is not a medical based one, my extensive training with
"Preparing The Way", has provided me with the practical and theoretical framework to work as an End of Life Doula to support you or your person in making informed personal choices. I believe wholeheartedly in providing holistic tools and supportive resources to individuals and families to better choose their own path in death preparation.
An addition to other supports in place such as Palliative care. I wished many times for the understanding of someone outside of direct family to have been available to help me navigate through all the necessary roles I needed to fulfill with care during my experiences.
I am committed to helping provide informed choices and see members of the community be empowered to make their own decisions about how they would wish to create a plan for end of life.
End of Life, your way.
Debbie Grasso
Holding Space ~ Providing Advocacy Support ~ Respecting Choice