Professional counseling should be considered if the bereaved children are at special risk. The dying child is another topic that I just wanted to touch on briefly. They cue into what their parents feel. If parents could be more open and honest about their feelings surrounding the child s impending death, it would probably be a better experience for the child. The child may not fear so much.
Children are usually very aware that their illness is terminal.
In closing my analysis of death, dying, grief, and bereavement in relation to children let me include the consequences of ignoring the situation. Children can become alienated, isolated, and fearful. Children who do not get the proper support and communication needed to resolve their grief can have difficulties in their adult life. Family, friends, religious groups, support groups, educators, members of the medical field, and society as a whole all have a responsibility of providing our children with the best care possible. Let us try to educate our nation on a topic that is so taboo.