About Compassionate Passages, Inc.
Compassionate Passages, Inc. is an international non-profit founded by Beth Seyda and Ann Fitzsimons. The death of Beth’s son, Dylan, and Ann’s niece, Riley, inspired them to combine their personal and professional experiences to support dying children and their families.
Beth’s profile:
• Bereaved parent
• Co-producer of award-winning film,
When a Child is Dying, and co-author of
The Supportive Care Handbook
• Speaker at conferences/workshops and
grand rounds on pediatric end-of-life care/
bereavement issues
• Board President 2007-08, Pregnancy Loss
and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA)
• Principal investigator with a team of University
of NC-Chapel Hill physicians on evaluating directive vs. non-directive
counseling methods
• Ten years as a Community Member, University of NC Hospitals Ethics
Committee
Ann’s profile:
• Provided caregiving and family support during the illness and death
of her niece, mother, and sister
• Co-author of The Supportive Care Handbook
• Speaker at conferences/workshops on
end-of-life care and bereavement-related topics
• Working towards a Post-Graduate Certificate in Bereavement from the
Hospice Education Department at Madonna University
• Professional Member of the Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
(MHPCO)
and Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA)
• Committee Member on NHPCO’s Children Project on Palliative/Hospice
Services (chiPPS) Education Workgroup and the Michigan Alliance for Pediatric
Palliative Services Committee (MAPPS)
Beth and Ann each have more than 20 years of marketing research and
consulting experience for Fortune 500 companies