Loyola Medicine's Pediatrics Program Receives Grant to Support Pediatric Bereavement Program

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola Medicine announced today a $10,000 Grief Reach grant from the New York Life Foundation to support the pediatric bereavement program. The grant will be used to fund training, education and resources for pediatric and spiritual care colleagues in order to increase support for families in the children's hospital who are dealing with end-of-life issues.

“We are grateful for New York Life Foundation’s investment in this program, which will help us build our capacity in order to fulfill our mission,” said Megan Gertz, child life specialist, Loyola Medicine. “The support will help grieving children and their families begin the healing process.”

“Grief Reach applications have grown exponentially since the program began five years ago, which illustrates that awareness and demand for bereavement services is increasing every year,” said Maria Collins, vice president, New York Life Foundation. “We have responded to the demand by broadening the application parameters and increasing the financial support so that even more grief service providers can reach diverse and disadvantaged children across the country.”

The New York Life Foundation created the Grief Reach program to help providers overcome barriers to bringing grief support services to youth not served by existing bereavement programs. More than 200 Grief Reach grants totaling over $7 million have been awarded since the program’s inception in 2011.

The New York Life Foundation has been one of the leading funders of the childhood bereavement field, investing $35 million to date in support of grieving children and their families.