On Call in the Face of Trauma - Comforting the Afflicted

For nearly a decade, my sister Patricia has been an angel of comfort for countless families and friends facing the worst days of their lives. 

As a volunteer for the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) http://www.tipnational.org, she is the embodiment of what founder Wayne Fortin calls “citizens helping citizens in crisis.” Volunteering for 12-hour shifts, Patricia is on call to respond to a wide variety of traumatic incidents (murder, suicide, rape, fire, domestic violence, accident, sudden cardiac death, overdose). She is a part of a 75-city team of TIP volunteers available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Patricia’s role is to comfort the families and friends on the scene as they grapple with the shock of what has happened. Their grief is compounded by the confusion of the scene as police, fire, coroner, the media and other first responders focus on their duties. She is there to prevent what mental health professionals call the “Second Injury.”

As first responders are performing their various roles, the family and friends on or called to the scene are left without support and with many questions. This could occur in a home or in a public place like a store, a hotel, a highway or a hospital. 

Specially trained, Patricia is there to handle the heart-breaking questions like “why is my wife still lying in the street, who will help us clean up this bloody scene, where are they taking the body, do I have to talk to the press?” Or how to handle the most difficult question of all “Is she dead?” while waiting for an official death notification. 

I wondered how she is able to continue this work after nearly ten years. She immediately answered, “to protect and support the family and friends.” She further explained, “They cannot process everything that is happening and need someone to help them at that critical moment.” 

Patricia looks for small ways to help family and friends through this initial phase of grief…retrieving a favorite blanket to go with their loved one as the mortuary removes the body, being there to listen to the family grieve and question what they could have done, helping them with the many “why” questions that naturally come up, answering questions about what happens next. 

Now a debriefer for TIP, she has taken on an additional role to support other TIP volunteers after they finish a call. She not only answers their questions about how they handled a call or what else they could have done but also ensures they are taking care of themselves as volunteers. 

I am so inspired by her dedication and incredible generosity in comforting others in moments of deep suffering and bewilderment. Truly an Act of Mercy!

Lori Doyle - Joined Holy Name Cathedral 6 1/2 years ago when I moved to Chicago. Currently the Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, I also served as Chair of the Human Concerns Commission. Actively involved in our parish, I also serve as an Extraordinary Minister and a Minister of Care at Prentice Hospital/Northwestern Hospital. Was honored in 2015 with the annual Archdiocese of Chicago Christifidelis award