Topics of death and grief can be hard to broach, but the founders of a Nova Scotia library hope to help people navigate difficult emotions surrounding loss through books.<\/p>\n
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When the Valley Hospice Foundation\u2019s Grief Library launched last year in Coldbook, N.S., Janet Balsom was its first client.<\/p>\n
At the time, the mother of two young kids had just been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 45.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little surreal, but that\u2019s how cancer works,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She had just started a new job as a school counsellor when her symptoms first appeared, including chronic fatigue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was dragging through the day all that fall. I thought maybe, because I\u2019m in my 40s, it\u2019s a new job, I\u2019ve got two kids, perimenopause, depression \u2014 those kind of things. But we did bloodwork and discovered that I was very anemic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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After more tests, she was told she had an incurable cancer.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAt first we were hopeful for a cure \u2014 at this point that\u2019s not what\u2019s going to happen. Now it\u2019s just about enjoying the last months and setting everybody up for going into the after-times as well as they can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
To help navigate the uncertainty and grief around her diagnosis, she sought support from the new library, which offers literature on difficult subjects.<\/p>\n
The library recently received the top prize in the 2024 Innovation Challenge hosted by the Canadian Virtual Hospice at the McGill International Palliative Care Congress.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we started the library, we really focused on the loss of a person, quickly realizing there are so many other nuances to grief \u2014 loss of a pet, critical illness, a terminal diagnosis,\u201d said Terri Milton, a librarian with the project.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tTerri Milton, a librarian with the Grief Library, expects to have 350 books in their collection this year.\t\t\t\t<\/span>
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\n\t\t\t\t\tSkye Bryden-Blom\/Global News\t\t\t\t<\/cite>
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\n\t\tTrending Now<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tMissing sisters who vanished in Scotland found, cause of death revealed<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\tOAS and CPP payments to roll out Wednesday. How much will seniors get?<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n The library, which expects to have 350 books in its collection this year, will mail books to patrons to make it easier to access material.<\/p>\n Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The books are targeted to all ages, and Balsom says it has also helped her children during this difficult time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been open with them. It\u2019s very difficult. Hard for them to hold uncertainty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re still so young. Things need to be concrete. Are you dying this week? Are you dying in six months? We\u2019ve had to answer those questions with, \u2018I don\u2019t know\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m so sorry.’\u201d<\/p>\n Those would like to borrow books from the Grief Library can get in touch by calling 902-690-2194<\/a>, emailing library@valleyhospice.ca<\/a> or visiting the location at 11 Opportunity Lane in Coldbrook, N.S. on Mondays and Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\n
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