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Bereavement Services

Adventist St. Thomas Hospice provides 13 months of support to the families of hospice patients through letters, literature and phone calls following the death of their loved one.  Adventist St. Thomas Hospice bereavement services are open to all community members dealing with loss, free of charge.  All programs meet at Adventist St. Thomas Hospice, 8230 S. Madison Ave. in Burr Ridge, unless otherwise noted.  Please call 630-856-6990 for upcoming dates.  These programs and services include:

Coping With Grief

This ongoing support group meets every Monday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. or 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Teens For Teens

This special grief support group is for teens who have lost a close friend or family member.  Facilitated by a professional grief counselor, the group meets once a month in the evening.  

Tommy's Kids Support Group

This grief support group is for children ages 4-11 who have suffered a significant loss due to death. Each session meets once a week in the evening for six consecutive weeks.  An adult/parent support group meets at the same time for those interested in attending.

Tommy's Kids also hosts a four-day summer camp for children ages 5-12 who have experienced the death of a family member or friend.  Camp is held at Arabian Knights Farms in Willowbrook.

Adult Loss of a Parent 
This grief support group is for adults who have experienced the death of a parent.  Each session meets once a week for seven consecutive weeks.  


L.E.O. (Let's Eat Out)
Dinner and socialization with others who have experienced losses. Meets every other month on the third Wednesday at Willby's Restaurant, Willowbrook Holiday Inn.

Memorial Service
An annual candle lighting service honoring those patients who have died in the past year.  The service is held in February and invitations are sent to families.

Other Services

• Six bereavement mailings and follow-up phone calls throughout the 13 months
• Access to individual counseling
• Referrals to professional support outside Adventist St. Thomas Hospice program.  This includes bereavement support groups available within the Adventist Health System. 
• Tree of Rememberence:  Families are invited to participate and honor their deceased loved one at this annual holiday event.
• Community education on grief and loss
• Bereavement library
• Support through the holidays, which include mailings, counseling and presentations