Quinn Bergeron Death Doula

09/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576832613708

A survey from the Nonreligion in a Complex Future project exploring perspectives on death and end of life care

05/06/2024

"A magnificent killer whale named Tahlequah
gave birth and caught the world’s attention.
Her calf died only thirty minutes after being born, each of those blessed minutes a sacrament to the progeny of love.
But the real reason journalists and photographers and millions of viewers followed this mother’s story, was her willingness to grieve unbidden, to become a thing utterly governed by kinship.
After a year and a half of growing this enormous life inside of her belly, and the immense feat of labor, and a half an hour of looking into one another’s eyes, Tahlequah proceeded to carry her dead baby on the tip of her nose for seventeen days, traveling more than a thousand miles all throughout the Salish Sea.
And some people think that grief is not
inexplicably beautiful. But perhaps it’s because those people (who are us people) no longer see grieving enacted publicly as a plea for sanity, as a way of feeding that which grants us life.
There was no real grieving at my mother’s funeral––
sniffling and shoving tears back up into our eyes, yes, but no keening. No collapsing into the bottomless cavern of one another’s trembling arms, no crying out into the insufferable heat of that late-summer day, and certainly no carrying my mom’s dead body as a holy procession all throughout the places she ever knew and loved.
So I continued to carry her mostly on my own.
I wailed in the privacy of my own home long after the funeral was over, with only the hurting eyes of my husband to behold me––a kind of holding that was never meant to be done alone.
I imagine that if killer whales were not endangered, Tahlequah would have swam those seventeen days with a grand procession of many other glistening, black and white giants all across the ocean.
Or perhaps she swam for one thousand miles
to personify the loneliness of her grief in a world spiraling toward oblivion.
And our savagery for not swimming alongside her; for taking pictures, for watching her exquisite ceremony on our little screens as if it were pure entertainment, as if that couldn’t be any one of us, carrying our dead children out into the dark and emptied streets."
From ‘The Progeny of Love' by April Tierney, Artwork by Lori Christopher 🐋
Story & Image: David Attenborough Fans.

04/29/2024

On Saturday I finished this project which I started two years ago after completing my end of life doula course. It wasn’t long after finishing the course that it became clear that taking on clients full time wouldn’t be something I had the luxury to pursue. But just like I couldn’t afford to start from scratch with my career, many people can’t afford to hire a doula. So a compromise was needed on both sides. That’s why I wrote this book. This is an affordable option for those who can’t access a doula or who simply prefer to do things on their own. I’m extremely proud of this work, and proud that it will be launched at the Reclaiming Death conference on Saturday.

I’m keeping this completely within my own control so that I can not only keep it up to date as this industry and the associated laws are always changing, but so that each copy can be personalized. Ironically, this book about death is at its best as a living document. It will be available in both digital and printed formats. Now that this version is done I’ll also be gradually adding versions for other provinces, and if the demand is there, states in the US. I’d also eventually like to have it available in different languages. The launch of this book is a huge step towards making end of life guidance accessible for everyone, so people can die on their own terms, and families can honor their memories in a way that feels right.

04/15/2024

I’m so excited to announce that my new guidebook Sailing Away: A Guide to Life’s Last Journey is going to be launched at this conference! All attendees will be receiving a FREE digital version, and personalized copies will be available for purchase. This guide is extremely detailed, has up to date information specific to Manitoba (more provinces to come), and contains resources that will make things a lot easier and bring peace of mind for both people at the end of life and their families. I’ve worked hard to make this an absolutely invaluable resource.

The Reclaiming Death conference aims to provide information on green burials and funeral planning, and promote conversations about our relationship with death. I’m proud to be involved with this and so grateful to the activists who invited me to take part. These conversations are important for everyone, no matter how near or far we are to the end.

02/06/2023

10/20/2022

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NAlnRHicgWs&feature=youtu.be

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, end of life and all my wishes go unheard."Lyrics and more here: http://zdoggmd.com/aint-the-way-to-die/Based on t...

08/10/2022

"Dance In The Graveyards" by Delta Rae from Carry The Fire, out now. Directed By: Dirty Robber. Delta Rae's album, Carry The Fire, is out now.Download on iTu...

07/24/2022

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/death-doula-2slgbtq-winnipeg-1.6527826

A Winnipeg death doula is working to ensure people in the 2SLGBTQ community have care and support at the end of their lives, services that are increasingly sought after across Canada, says an organization that advocates for improved quality of dying.

06/24/2022

It’s all going to be ok

06/24/2022

A death doula can always help you navigate planning process, making sure you only pay for what’s absolutely necessary and what truly matters to you