Month: April 2026

EOLPodcast

Ep. 544 The Queer Grief Club and Inclusive End-of-Life Care with Jamie Thrower

kwyattmd

Learn how to better serve the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in grief and at the end of life.

My guest Jamie Thrower is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She is the founder of Queer Grief Club and the co-creator of The Dementia Deck. We discuss how to offer more inclusive services in our end-of-life care and grief support spaces. Learn more at Jamie’s website:

jamiethrower.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Jamie’s story of becoming parentless at age 28
  • How she discovered that grief connected her to others in a beautiful way
  • Why children need to be involved in death and funerals
  • The many layers of grief experienced by a queer person
  • How our systems need to change to become more inclusive
  • What we can do as individuals to make our care more welcoming to the queer community
  • Hidden bias in our paperwork and forms for people in the LGBTQ+ community
  • The importance of advance directives for queer people

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Wayne for buying me a coffee and Rick DiTullio and Dawn Dayter for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 543 A Hospice Musical to Teach About Life’s Grief and Joy with Benjamin Kintisch

kwyattmd

Learn how to experience and support a fantastic musical comedy about hospice care, grief, and finding meaning in life.

My return guest Benjamin Kintisch is a trained chaplain, music teacher, and Cantor in the Jewish synagogue. He is the creator, lyricist and playwright of “Life Review: The Hospice Musical,” a musical comedy that focuses on the lessons a young rabbi learns when he is assigned to be a chaplain for patients in a residential hospice. Ben discusses the upcoming full performance of the musical and album recording on May 9th and the real life origin of the stories and songs in Life Review. Visit the website and support the Kickstarter campaign at the links below:

lifereviewmusical.com

Kickstarter Campaign for Life Review

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Ben to write a musical about hospice
  • How Ben ended up creating a one-man version of the show during COVID
  • The story arc of the musical and what it teaches
  • Audience reaction to the musical and why it creates “teachable” moments
  • Why the arts and media are important vehicles for educating the public about death, dying, and grief
  • The upcoming May 9th performance of the musical and live album recording at Johns Hopkins University
  • How (and why) to support the Kickstarter Campaign

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 541 [BONUS] Kindness is Contagious and We Need it Now More Than Ever (from What Really Matters Podcast)

kwyattmd

This Bonus post is a cross-over episode from the What Really Matters Podcast.

In this episode I’m sharing research by Dr. Jonathan Haidt that demonstrates the ripple effects transmitted from each and every act of kindness. When other people see us being kind it changes them. And this moment in time–when people are feeling overwhelmed, polarized, frightened, and uncertain–is exactly when kindness is needed. 

"Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing."

from the poem Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye

This episode includes:

  • How we collectively know deep sorrow at this time in history
  • Apples: a simple story of kindness becoming contagious
  • Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s research findings about kindness
  • Noticing the effects of kindness on others
  • The Kindness Walk as a practice
  • Invitation to share your kindness stories with me at info@eoluniversity.com

Learn about my books here

Check out What Really Matters Podcast

Read my latest Substack post

Make a donation here

EOLPodcast

Ep. 542 Estate Transition: An Important Part of End-of-Life Planning with Dan Stickel

kwyattmd

Learn about a software resource that helps people navigate estate planning and settlement and find greater peace at the end of life.

My guest Dan Stickel is the Founder and CEO of EstateExec, a cloud-based software solution estate administration and settlement. If you’ve ever served as the executor for an estate you know how challenging it can be to manage financial decisions while grieving after a death has occurred. Dan explains how this software eases the burden for loved ones and avoids common mistakes, and also why it should be part of end-of-life planning. Learn more at the website:

estateexec.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Dan created EstateExec based on his own experience
  • Most people don’t have a will and why that may or may not be a problem
  • How the EstateExec app helps people navigate the estate settlement process after a death occurs
  • The common issues estate executors struggle with
  • Why the estate transition process can’t be rushed and each step is important
  • Simple steps in planning an estate in advance that could make a big difference for survivors
  • Many states have laws to protect families financially after a death
  • Why death doulas and hospice workers may want to encourage estate planning before death for peace of mind and less family conflict

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Lynn Adamo for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.