Ep. 536 Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula with Darnell Lamont Walker

Learn about a powerful memoir from the life of a death doula who was inspired by his grandmother to sit with the dying.

My guest Darnell Lamont Walker is a death doula, Emmy-nominated children’s television writer, producer and explorer. He creates spaces worldwide for healing through storytelling, end-of-life care, and workshops on grief, resilience, unlocking the writer within, and radical empathy. He is the author of the newly published memoir Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and The Art of a Peaceful End published by HarperCollins. Learn more at his website:

darnellwalker.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

• How Darnell was first introduced to end-of-life care by his grandmother
• The power of storytelling
• Why caring for the dying seems foreign to some people but is actually an innate ability
• Why we should be training children at a young age to be present with dying or we may pass on our own fear of death
• Death within the Black community and the impact of systemic racism, generational trauma, and unequal access to healthcare on end-of-life decision-making
• Why listening first is the best way to build trust and get people to talk about difficult subjects
• Why we can make better choices for life when we become aware of our mortality

Links mentioned in this episode:

• A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
• Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
• Latest post on Substack: Grief on the Third Path
• What Really Matters Podcast
• View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
• NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
• Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
• Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
• Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
• Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
• Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
• Buy me a coffee
• Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Jolynn Deloach for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.