SUMMER 2023
Turning Grief into Comfort for Others In 2006, after her own experience with Bluegrass Care
Two years later, in 2008, she was approached with the idea
Navigators, Shirley Bubany took the incredibly difficult
of putting her sewing skills to use by making bereavement
a volunteer with BCN so that she could help others going
one. These hand-sewn bears are made with the clothes
through their end-of-life journey and provide comfort and
and fabric from the loved one who has passed away, and
support to families during their time of grief.
help to provide comfort to those grieving.
loss of her husband and chose to give back by becoming
bears for family members who had recently lost a loved
Having now made over 600 bears, Shirley continues
to create these comforting keepsakes for our patients’ families, each one unique and personalized to honor
the memory of a loved one. In addition to donating the materials for the bears she makes, Shirley’s dedication to this program and the families it serves is evident in the care and attention she puts into each bear. She takes the time to get to know the loved one through their clothes and hobbies to create a special, lasting memento. “Making the bears is a way to give back to the families
and support them in their grief journey. I could go buy a
new purse, but I would rather buy poly-fil for the bears. My own experience caring for my husband and the support I received from BCN motivates me to continue making the “I decided to become a volunteer with BCN because it helped with the grieving process, relating to other people, and knowing
bears and give back to others.” Shirley has heard countless stories of how the bears have
that everyone is going through it. It is hard for me to think how
brought comfort and solace to families during their time
my life would not have been as rewarding if I did not volunteer
of mourning. “One of my favorite memories is while
with BCN. It really got me out of myself.”
being recognized as the National Hospice and Palliative