SANTA BARBARA — Prince Harry was at the vulnerable age of 12 when he lost his beloved mother, Princess Diana, in a car accident. Prince Harry recently admitted to “hiding his head in the sand,” refusing to allow himself to think of his mom. He said that in his early 20’s, he was very close to having a complete breakdown on more than one occasion.
Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and the author of the new book “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy.” The book depicts her painful experiences after the tragic unexpected death of her husband.
“As anyone who’s ever been through something like this will tell you, it feels like you’re not going to get through, you know, a minute, let alone an hour, let alone a day,” said Sandberg.
Both Sandberg and Prince Harry have sought professional counseling to help them navigate their grief and gain important insight as to the effect the deaths have had on them, emotionally.
“When high-profile and respected personalities honestly and openly discuss their struggles through death and grief, its positive effects can’t be exaggerated, “said David Selberg, CEO. “Their stories of denial, acting out, seeking help and coming to terms with their loss normalizes these traumatic events for all of us who may also be struggling with similar issues. It’s a brave thing for high profile people to do, because it brings the conversation to so many who have experienced death,” said Selberg.
Joe Biden, Sophia Bush, Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Michelle Williams are among famous figures who have gone public with their personal stories of death and loss. There is even a celebrity blog section where celebrities share their stories at: whatsyourgrief.com
One of the goals of Hospice of Santa Barbara is to encourage our community to embrace the topic of death to better cope with and prepare for it. In 2016, Hospice of Santa Barbara conducted 102 Community Education and Outreach trainings, workshops and presentations to reach over 5,000 people locally. The monthly Learn at Lunch series and Death and Cupcakes open discussions are just two examples of education and support opportunities offered to the community by Hospice of Santa Barbara
Hospice of Santa Barbara provides, at no cost, professional counseling and patient care services to people who are experiencing the impact of a serious illness, or grieving the death of a loved one. Hospice of Santa Barbara is also present on six local high school campuses to work with children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.