Facing Fears & Living Fiercely: How a Death Doula Can Help
Have you ever had (or wished you had) a cool cousin or sister or friend who helped you feel less alone during the hardest times in life? Well, there are few things harder than facing our mortality and today we have the honor of talking with Deltra James, an advocate who's been living with triple negative metastatic breast cancer for six years.
After seeing the impact that death anxiety has on so many of us living with MBC, Deltra became a certified death doula and today we cover what a death doula is, what services they can provide, typical cost ranges, and where to find one.
We also discuss The Good Grim, a six week course developed by Deltra that is free for those living with MBC through the amazing Project Life. Topics covered include: death doula 101, facing death-related fears, creating a well-lived life, becoming an awesome ancestor, creating a death plan you can live with, and wrapping up loose ends at the end of your life. Because it can be so easy to feel alone when thinking about end of life, The Good Grim course offers an opportunity to come together in community and, in Deltra’s words, explore end of life, face our fears, and live fiercely.
We hope you’ll join us for this life-filled conversation about facing mortality.
Episode Notes:
The Good Grim
The Good Grim website: (launching soon! you can sign up now for email updates on Deltra’s programs)
The Good Grim: Exploring End of Life, Facing Fears, and Living Fiercely course
“Join certified death doula and MBC-er Deltra James on a six-week exploration of all things end of life; blending heart and humor with practicality to make addressing death both meaningful and manageable.”
Topics include: Death doula 101, facing death-related fears, creating a well-lived life, becoming an awesome ancestor, creating a death plan you can live with, wrapping up loose ends at the end of your life
the next set of free workshops for those living with MBC will be held in Fall 2025 through Project Life
See other upcoming events on Eventbright
Washington Post on Deltra’s 5 year Cancerversery / Living Funeral
Resources
What an end-of-life doula can do for you (Cleveland Clinic)
National End-of-life Doula Association (US-based)
Death Cafes
What are they? (AARP)
How to locate one (Death Café)
Death Deck, a card-playing game to help you start conversations about death & EOL planning
5 Wishes, a living will resource
Meet the Guest of the Episode
Deltra James
Deltra is a New England–based mother, poet, and patient advocate. After being diagnosed at age 33 with triple-negative breast cancer that had already spread to her liver, she sought community through story sharing and creativity; creating a social media space, The Beatnik Boob, for cancer patients and caregivers to share wins and woes through poetry and art. Beginning as a member of the For the Breast of Us inaugural class of Baddie Ambassadors, she found her footing in the advocacy and cancer communities. Since then, she has joined forces with organizations—such as TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance (BBCA); Project Life; Bright Spot Network; and Cactus Cancer Society—to support others in connecting with resources that aid in areas she is passionate about: mental wellness, therapeutic creative expression, parenting, divorce after diagnosis, and disparities due to income and race. Deltra has lent her voice and experience on panels for organizations, such as Infinite Strength and SHARE as well as on various podcasts, including Empowered Intimacy which she co-hosts. After taking notice of rampant death anxiety within the cancer community, she ventured into deathcare work adding death doula to her patient advocacy repertoire as she assists fellow patients in accomplishing necessary end-of-life planning while addressing fear.
More about Deltra:
Navigating End-of-Life Priorities with Courage and Care (Compassion and Choices, 2025)
Living Life to the Fullest Despite a Terminal Diagnosis (Bezzy BC, 2021)
Ways to connect with her:
IG - @deltra_does_it
email - deltratjames@gmail.com
