Guidance to Grow Vilomah - The loss of a child

Vilomah - The loss of a child

There is a term for most bereaved people. For those who have lost a husband, the word widow. For those who have lost a wife, the word widower. For those that have lost parents, the word orphan.

There seems to be no word for a parent who has experienced the death of a child, but the closest would be Vilomah. Vilomah is a Sanskrit word that literally means, "against a natural order." A child should never die before their parents and there is some sort of tiny comfort in knowing that there is a word for parents to identify with.

Through this podcast series, Jeanne van den Bergh, social worker in private practice and life coach who specialises in trauma and bereavement counselling, aims to offer guidance and support to parents who have a lost a child.
Monthly English South Africa Kids & Family
26 Episodes
20 – 26

How to deal with the anniversary of the loss of your child

With the first anniversary of your child's death on the horizon, it may be helpful for you to keep in mind that your grief may return with intensity. There are no hard and fast rules regarding grieving, and not everyone will experience intense grief at the anniversary of the death…
5 Mar 2021 16 min

How to survive the festive season as a grieving parent

Christmas is a particularly difficult time for parents dealing with the loss of a child. While grief never fully goes away, there will be times when emotions are much more heightened than others, and when the sense of loss can feel greater. Christmas – the season which celebrates love and…
15 Dec 2020 16 min

Dealing with grief during the first year

There are two distinct time periods after a loss that can help you understand the grieving process. The first is immediately following the death when extended family, friends, and community gather. It is the time period when you are dealing with funerals and memorial services and there is lots of…
13 Nov 2020 29 min

How to support a friend or family member after the loss of their child

After a child dies, those who are left behind may experience depression, biological and neurological changes, and a destabilization of the family and marriage. The best thing that friends and loved ones of bereaved parents can do is be present, available, and supportive. In this episode of Vilomah Jeanne van…
18 Sep 2020 19 min

The changed family dynamic after the loss of a child

For parents who have lost a child, it makes no sense for life to end at such a young age—particularly when the death is sudden and without warning. The loss cuts so deep, it can be suffocating. Parents who lose a child often must also contend with surviving siblings. Figuring…
14 Aug 2020 21 min

The start of a parent’s journey of grief when their child passes

No parent is prepared for a child's death. Parents are simply not supposed to outlive their children. It is important to remember that how long your child lived does not determine the size of your loss. The loss of a child is profound at every age. You may find that…
23 Jul 2020 15 min
20 – 26