Giving Compass' Take:

• The Journey Program helps the siblings of children who have passed away to cope with their grief. Through counseling and events, children get age-appropriate support as they deal with the loss of their loved one. 

• What other programs are doing similar work? How can philanthropy help this model of support spread to serve more children?

• Find out how the Stoneman Douglas library turned into counseling center following the deadly shooting on campus. 

The Journey Program was created in 1987 with a donation from the Liska family. Their child, Ann Liska, was a cardiology patient at Children’s for many years. After her death, and the subsequent death of her grandfather, the family approached Seattle Children’s to establish a program for grieving families, like themselves.

Today, the Journey Program offers support to any family who has experienced the death of a child through support groups, counseling and resources.

While the Journey Program is most commonly recognized for its parent services, it also supports the siblings of deceased children.

“Children who have witnessed death, especially the death of a sibling, are forever changed,” says Kelsey Mitchell, a pediatric grief coordinator for the Journey Program.

Kids are impacted differently at each age group, Mitchell noted. A preschooler might have a hard time understanding death, but they know their routine has changed, and that can be really challenging for them. They don’t necessarily have the language skills to explain what’s going on, but they feel grief. Young, school-aged children can experience increased separation anxiety. They can feel their grief physically, with symptoms like increased stomachaches or headaches.

Read the full article on the Journey Program by Rose Ibarra at Seattle Children's.