When a Child’s Death Is Sudden
About The Guide
When a child dies suddenly, unexpectedly, or traumatically, families are asked to absorb the unimaginable, often while navigating circumstances no one prepares them for: the involvement of a medical examiner or coroner, investigations, autopsies, delays, and unanswered questions that stretch on for weeks or months. In these moments, your steady presence matters more than ever, and so does having the right resource to place in a family’s hands.
When a Child’s Death is Sudden: A Companion Guide to When a Child Dies speaks directly to the unique circumstances that can accompany a sudden or traumatic loss. In a compact, shareable format, it gently walks families through the immediate aftermath: what may need to happen before funeral planning can begin, options for seeing and spending time with their child, waiting for answers, deciding what to share and with whom, setting boundaries around media and social media, and understanding how trauma and grief can affect the body and mind. Throughout, it reassures families of what matters most, their child mattered, their love matters, and their grief matters.
This guide is designed to supplement, not replace, When a Child Dies, which carries families through funeral planning, memorialization, and ways to honor their child’s life and legacy. Offer both together when a loss is sudden: the companion guide meets families in the shock of the first hours and days, and When a Child Dies walks alongside them through what comes next.
Download The Guide
When a Child’s Death is Sudden is offered as a free digital download so you can print what you need, when you need it, in-house or through a professional printer.
Offer it alongside When a Child Dies when a family experiences a sudden, unexpected, or traumatic loss.
Share with local hospitals, emergency departments, first responders, medical examiner and coroner offices, schools, grief centers, and faith communities.
A Companion to When a Child Dies
When a Child’s Death is Sudden extends the Foundation’s When a Child Dies: Planning Acts of Love & Legacy, which offers compassionate guidance to help families navigate funeral planning, memorialization, family support, and grief resources after the death of a child. Available free in print, simply pay shipping, or as an eBook to share on your website.