BEAUTY & MEANING. Dawn Briskey (left) and Deirdre Jenkins (right) are two certified end-of-life doulas in the Chippewa Valley. They define their practice as a non-medical companion who offers holistic approaches to support people – or families – nearing death. Together, alongside a cohort of doulas-in-training, they raise awareness to this specialized care in the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin.

Compassionate, accessible, and deeply personal end-of-life planning has quietly become an growing resource in the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin.

While some families may view this transitional period with grief, two end-of-life doulas in the region see it with curiosity and responsibility: a need to invest in oneself and show up with preparedness for their loved ones.

Deirdre Jenkins and Dawn Briskey define their practice as a non-medical companion who provides a holistic and equally practical approach to support people – or families – nearing death.

The doula can offer emotional, spiritual, and accessible tools to navigate through the dying process, they said.

Both women hold certifications in a wide range of services – from dying coaches, sacred passage doulas and grief companions, to life planning doulas and doula trainers.

Briskey falls into the latter; her work with patients in the Chippewa Valley, any person 18 years or older, works by getting the proper paperwork in place.

Her previous roles – prior to doula work – fell in the business and project management sectors. Today, she assists with healthcare connections, power of attorney considerations, a living will, and – arguably the most important – the final disposition of the body.

Much of their services are intended – for clients and the community – to be done in advance, as it is a crucial way for the person who may be passing to maintain choice.

"Part of my personal mission is to feel like I have given the community an opportunity to take death back for themselves." –Deirdre Jenkins

“I think it comes down to choice,” Briskey said, emphasizing the early planning offerings with an end-of-life doula. “If you think about things ahead of time and you’ve already made some plans, it doesn’t mean you can’t change them – but you have made choices for yourself.

“That’s everything from how you want people to speak for you, if you can't speak for yourself… to what you want to happen to your body after you die,” she continued.

Briskey and Jenkins each recounted stories of their own experiences tied to death, having witnessed the passing of their own family members or loved ones. Through these individual interactions, both developed a shared understanding of the transformative support a doula can bring during such a symbolic period of time.

“For them, this is their sacred time,” Jenkins said of her clients; she specializes in sacred passage and grief companionship. “We really want to support them in (a) way that is meaningful to them.”

Much of their work in the Chippewa Valley – and the inception of the doulas’ emerging nonprofit, River Valley Community Death Care (RVCDC) – will allow for continued advocacy work on the role of end-of-life care and expand partnerships within the area.

RVCDC connects with funeral directors and other sacred passage doulas, to hospice caregivers and medical professionals – any who are comfortable walking the end-of-life journey with others.

Briskey (center) and Jenkins (right) share conversation with Martha Nieman, a fellow member of the River Valley Community Death Care (RVCDC) board. The soon-to-be nonprofit connects businesses and organizers with other death doula – any who are comfortable walking the end-of-life journey with others.

Briskey and Jenkins have also worked to bring regional training opportunities for prospective doulas to the Valley, through the International Doula Life Movement (IDLM).

“There are very few in-depth doula training courses in person; (IDLM is) trying to elevate the profession.” Briskey said. “I love it because we're also starting a community.”

Graduates from one of their first training cohorts in the fall of last year have already begun to work with clients in the Chippewa Valley and share messages about end-of-life care. Another cohort will continue into the spring of this year, the two said.

“There are different levels of training, so it’s really important for somebody – who needs something from a doula – to make sure that doula has been trained in what they need,” the duo shared.

In addition to their work with a person who has passed or a family member, both Briskey and Jenkins provide free resources in the Chippewa Valley through “Death Cafes.” 

These local gatherings meet on a recurring basis and offer safe spaces for any person to ask questions and talk about death.

“The most interesting people come to death cafes (with) the most interesting questions,” Briskey said. “Death Cafes are serving a lot of purposes and definitely people are getting exposed to other people's thinking – these are incredible places of learning.”

“There are different levels of training, so it’s really important for somebody – who needs something from a doula – to make sure that doula has been trained in what they need.” –Dawn Briskey and Deirdre Jenkins

Jenkins shared some misconceptions about the work in end-of-life doula care and intends to dispel ones she hears most frequently in her community. She explicitly stated doulas do not replace medical staff, in turn they work with medical staff to ensure families and individuals are at their most comfortable.

Additionally, end-of-life doulas are not simply needed at the end of life. She clarifies that the journey can begin much earlier than that; planning can be crucial if the person passing is a parent, has a partner or children, or feels isolated.

As the RVCDC expands, the two certified doula trainers – along with four other board members – intend to establish a growing network of individuals who can offer resources related to death and educate their wider communities.

Briskey and Jenkins alike, will move through the world to ensure every individual – and even themselves – feel supported, cared for, and truly understood throughout this vital journey.

“Part of my personal mission is to feel like I have given the community an opportunity to take death back for themselves,” Jenkins said. “Much beauty and meaning can be made (from death).

“I know that I will have done my job when more people are having the conversations and showing up for what's important, (and) know how to be there for the people in their lives,” she continued.

Both Dawn Briskey and Deirdre Jenkins, two end-of-life doulas in the Chippewa Valley, offer initial consultations to determine the best services needed for an individual or family. For additional information on the doulas’ services and work with the RVCDC, visit their respective webpages online or rivervalleydeathcare.org.