A Sacred Walk: Dispelling the Fear of Death and Caring for the Dying

A SACRED WALK helps dispel the fear of death and draws uniquely on the experience of the dying to show how best to meet the practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a loved one who is facing death. Writer Donna Authers lived in fear of death from childhood well into her adult life, the result of an unusual number of tragic losses in her family. The miraculous story of how that fear was broken marked the start of her calling as a caregiver to others as they, or their loved ones, prepared to leave this world. Walking alongside someone with a chronic or terminal illness is a sacred time, but we usually want to be told exactly how to help. Read how family, friends, hospice and other resources came together for Anna during her final days. Heeding the end-of-life lessons shared in this book will show readers how best to care for their loved ones and also help them die with no regrets when their own time comes. In response to reader demand, the eBook version includes a Discussion Guide with questions for each chapter to help open a dialog on important related topics we tend to avoid but shouldn’t.

After earning a B.S. degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Donna Authers enjoyed a highly successful business career in marketing and sales management for nearly thirty years with an international corporation. She moved from the business world to full-time volunteer work in 1992 where she developed a passion for applying her natural caregiving skills to help bring hope and healing to hurting people. These skills have been honed through her sacred walks with others and her leadership in Stephen Ministry and Community Bible Study. She is a gifted teacher and, as such, has trained and mentored other volunteers to develop their own caregiving skills to serve others.

Over the years, Donna has been regularly invited into the homes of many families learning to accept death and has accompanied them throughout the grieving process. She has worked closely with hospice organizations, counselors, social workers and clergy, and has been an advocate for others dealing with the medical system and government agencies.  Today Donna continues to devote much of her time to caring ministries, speaking and writing.  Helping others cope with new chapters in their lives and finding renewed enthusiasm for the future is a key element in her work.

She offers "A Sacred Walk" as a tool readers can use to open a necessary dialogue among their family members and friends about important aspects about life, how to prepare for the inevitable, and how to care for ourselves and our loved ones when the time comes.  For more information, visit asacredwalk.com.