About Marieke van Donkersgoed and End-of-Life Care
Are you on Precious Time?
Precious time is when you are very sick and death is likely, if not imminent. It is when you say what you need to say, and say what you need. Precious time is when you do important things that must be completed, and gather around you what is most meaningful.
Precious time is when the quality of life is more important than the length of life.
You may be in precious time yourself, or perhaps caring for someone you love.
Either way, this is a distinct type of time, when the human experience becomes more precious than it ever was before.
Being open to the reality of death and dying can create a process and experience that is more filled with beauty and healing, than it is painful.
In general, dying is peaceful.
It can be difficult to talk about death and dying because nobody knows exactly what to expect. However, when we do talk about it, we can create more control of the process and have a better experience, filled with love and meaning, eliminating fear, and leaving survivors with less grief.
Palliative Care
- does not mean giving up or that your life is over.
- is not hospice care per se, and should ideally begin at the time of any diagnosis with the potential of physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual suffering.
- is a branch of medicine focused on people who may or may not be receiving curative treatments. Someone does not need to be close to death to receive effective palliative care.
- aims at enhancing quality of life for patient and family, through symptom and pain management, while facing serious illness or injury.
- is also the type of care used in hospice, when the life expectancy of a patient is less than six months and the choice has been made to discontinue curative treatment and focus on comfort and quality of life.
How can I help?
I am a non-medical palliative caregiver. I come to your home, the hospital or your home-away-from-home for compassionate and honest conversation about your situation or that of your loved one. We can also work by phone and/or video-connection if we live far apart.
I can help you understand where you are in your process, what is happening and what you may expect. I can help you feel less helpless, and show you how you can fill your days with value and meaning.
We will determine together what is important in the time to come, what resources are available and how I can be helpful in any way with my time and presence. This can vary from sorting out arrangements to sitting vigil when the time comes. Caregivers may need some "time off" when I can be there. I can sit with you, talk with you, or read with you.
I will meet you where you are, respecting your values and your priorities, and safeguarding your dignity.
You are so much more than your medical situation. We will make YOU and the quality of your days the center of attention.
About me
My name is Marieke (Mah-ree-kah) van Donkersgoed.
I am a Dutch native living in Washburn WI with my husband, our cat, and our flock of chickens.
My interest to become a professional palliative caregiver was ignited during the journey with my dying mother in 2012.
It was my first experience witnessing the process of serious illness from the initial diagnosis to her death and into my grief journey.
I was made painfully aware of both my lack of knowledge and the lack of helpful information available to me to be a good advocate and carer for my mom, and to keep myself on board with the process without losing my sanity and my courage.
So my mom and I figured it out together. Sometimes we stumbled but overall it was a heart-opening and invaluable experience which should be everyone's experience when the time comes.
After a four-and-a-half month journey Mom died peacefully, leaving me a wiser human being.
Relevant Credentials
2010 - NLP Life Coaching
Bennett/Stellar University, Washington
2010 - Timeline Coach & Trauma Release Specialist
Bennett/Stellar University, Washington
2012 - Certified End-of-Life Doula
Quality of Life CareDoula Institute
2015 - Grief Integration Studies with Alan Wolfelt
2016 - Grief Integration Studies with Grief Recovery Institute
2023 - Certified Death Doula
IAP Career College
HIPAA Certified with ProTrainings
Founder/Owner of the Cypress Center for end life and grief resources, a Dementia Friendly Organization
Member NEDA - National End-of-Life Doula Alliance
Member DDNI - Death Doula Network International