Preparing for Death

Facing death is difficult for most people. The fact that some people know death is approaching quickly affects how they feel about it. In some cases, a diagnosis is the catalyst for preparing for death and it prompts people to do things they might ordinarily put off, such as planning a funeral. In some cases, people are focused on what awaits the dead and the plans focus more on those preparations. Dawn is a death doula who was studying ancient Egyptian tombs before her mother's cancer diagnosis changed the course of Dawn's life. There are some obvious comparisons between how Dawn's modern-day clients set out to prepare for death and how the ancient Egyptians prepared.

Typically, Dawn works with patients who have received a health diagnosis that makes it likely they will die relatively soon. In some cases, she works with patients over the...