Working Through Grief: Two SLPs Share Their Stories

Twelve years separated their clinical fellowship (CF) experiences, and one fate united them. Their paths intersected personally and professionally when Phuong Lien Palafox became Leah Joseph’s CF supervisor and they learned of their similar experiences. Here are their CF stories.  Phuong’s CF story 2004 I couldn’t do it anymore. I quit my doctoral program, and the next week I found out Má’s cancer had returned. The timing was impeccable, and I moved home to be with my mother and start my clinical fellowship. My days were spent making mistakes, learning and becoming a professional. My evenings were spent by my mother’s side. Most of our time was filled with shared meals and shared stories. She continued to mother, and I happily obliged. One weekend, she accompanied me to my campus to help set up my speech room. That December, she passed away on a cold morning. I’m glad I had that year with Má—she saw me become a speech-language pathologist. Leah’s CF story 2016 The day was November 25, 2016, my 25th birthday. Every year, momma would call me to retell my birth story and how much joy it brought her. That year, she started the conversation with, “I’ll never forget that day 24 years ago.” I interjected, “Twenty-five years ago, mom.” By that time, she had already started showing signs of cognitive decline. Little did I know, my 25th birthday would be the last birthday that I would hear my momma’s voice. She passed away two months later from complica...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology audiology Professional Development Source Type: blogs