About EOL Path

My Story

I am no stranger to death and grief. My dad died in 2013 when I was 16. He was riding a bike when he was hit by a car. My life, and the lives of my siblings and Mom, changed forever. My relationship with grief has been a journey - starting with numbness and carrying on, to overwhelming waves of sadness and missing him, to now being familiar with what grief feels like. Over the past two or three years, I have felt a shift towards viewing grief as a companion.

In April 2025, my grandpa died peacefully at home on hospice care, in the third year of pancreatic cancer. In months leading up to his death, my mom gave me a book Dear Life by Rachel Clarke. That book opened my eyes to what hospice care is, how personal it is, and I really felt pulled towards learning more. My grandpa and I shared a deep love of Chicago Cubs baseball, and he passed right as the Cubs home opener was about to start (with me, my sister, and brother in attendance with one empty seat). As the oldest grandchild, I was honored to be asked to give the eulogy at his funeral.

I quit my job and applied to volunteer at Coming Home Hospice, which I have done since July 2025. I knew that I needed to be close to hospice care and make sure that I could emotionally handle dying and death, and I am happy to say that it has been one of the most meaningful things I've ever done and I'm so grateful for the experiences and learnings I've had so far.

In December 2025, I had the privilege of sitting vigil for the final five days with my grandma, in the days leading up to her death. I'm so grateful for the experience I had with volunteering and my knowledge of the body's dying process granting me the comfortability to be present as a grandson. Six weeks before my INELDA End-of-Life Doula training, I had the privilege of serving as a de-facto end-of-life doula by sitting and being present with her and lightening the load for my uncle who was taking care of her.

My Superpowers & Vision

As a hospice volunteer, doula, and former tech founder, I bring a unique blend of skills to the families I support. My core superpowers are:

• Grounded, Compassionate Presence: Whether sitting vigil or actively listening to a family in crisis, I draw on dedicated mindfulness practices around mortality to hold space for grief without trying to "fix" the unfixable emotional weight.
• Systems-Level Problem Solving: Coming from a background in building complex data infrastructure, I naturally break down overwhelming logistical challenges—like navigating advance directives or post-death paperwork—into clear, manageable steps.
• Resource Architecture: I have spent significant time mapping the end-of-life space, from hidden bereavement benefits to local services. If I don't know the exact answer, I will figure out how to find the right expert or resource.

I'm confident supporting pre-death work around advance directives, providing reliable respite for exhausted caregivers, and navigating the often-confusing post-death logistics.