VSED Resources Northwest co-founder Nancy Simmers is a Registered Nurse and End-of-Life Doula.

Her 40-year nursing career included work as a labor and delivery nurse, a public health nurse for high-risk mothers and babies, a lactation consultant, a birth doula, and a women’s health care practitioner.

While engaged in the caretaking of her dying parents, Nancy first saw the similarities between birth and death, and recognized that both are thresholds involving courage, uncertainty, fear, release, transformation, and love. Her passionate wish now is for society to accept, prepare for, practice, and anticipate death as much as we do pregnancy and birth.

To learn more about Nancy’s experiences with VSED, read her “Who We Are” blog post.

Patti Kwok, PhD, ARNP has cared for individuals diagnosed with cancer for almost forty years in the greater Seattle community as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner. She has worked in a variety of medical settings including major academic centers and health maintenance organizations that are recognized nationally and internationally. In Feb of 2016 she was recruited to the Swedish Tumor Institute to run the cancer survivorship clinic.

At this stage of her career she thoroughly enjoys helping patients during this important transition from active therapy to long-term surveillance and also facilitating Speaking of Dying Workshops and other end-of-life planning groups. A PhD in depth psychology and mythology has prepared her to empower patients to explore existential beliefs regarding illness and mortality, and to take action.

Contact info: seattlekwok@comcast.net

Ram Dass says we’re all just walking each other home. As an ADEC-certified thanatologist (CT®), funeral celebrant, death doula/end of life navigator, grief advocate, trained hospice volunteer, and ambassador/volunteer client adviser (VCA) with End of Life Washington, I consider it the honor of a lifetime to be able to companion others on this walk.

My work in the world as a soulsmith and ceremonialist is about helping people navigate life transitions and participate in discussions aimed at claiming death and loss as our birthright. I bring a bounty of creative rituals and resources to my death-preparedness workshops in the community. I look forward to hosting this conversation with you and your people!

Contact info: 425-577-0328; email danna@waypointceremonies.com, or see her website at WaypointCeremonies.com