Blog by W. Stephen Love, President/CEO of the DFW Hospital Council

I had lunch this week with Jennifer K. Bartkowski, the CEO of the Girl Scouts of North Texas. While she does outstanding work in the Girl Scouts, she also serves on the board of trustees for Carson’s Village. I was so impressed with this group, I have been spreading the word to our hospital members.

Carson’s Village helps families to organize their own village after a sudden loss of life. Following lunch with Jennifer, I thought about the boards I sit on and how these organizations deal with the loss of life in accidents, sudden death from trauma and chronic illness. Carson’s Village can assist all of these families by providing a wide range of free support services.

As noted on the organization’s website at www.carsonvillage.org, Jennifer sits on the board because a close family friend she went to college with had an 11-year-old son, Carson, who committed suicide. The family was devastated and did not know where to start regarding funeral arrangements, coordinating plans for burial and the many difficult, emotional tasks associated with unexpected loss of life.

Carson’s parents created Carson’s Village to provide a network of love, support and expertise to help families navigate the practical details from the moment of passing to the funeral.

While this is a very sad topic, there is a real need in our community to help families deal with the sudden loss of a loved one, especially when they have no idea what the next few days will be in store for a devastated family.

This is such a worthy cause and certainly a “Village” that can assist families, hospitals and systems across North Texas.

For information, please do not hesitate to contact Carson’s Village.