The AHPCA is excited to announce the return of the Roadshow—bringing meaningful, engaging palliative care education to communities across Alberta.
This year, we are pleased to welcome Darrin Parkin, Spiritual Care Clinician, and his acclaimed presentation: Love, Loss, Hope & The Shawshank Redemption
Recommended Viewing:
Participants are encouraged to watch The Shawshank Redemption before attending the presentation, as Darrin will draw on three of the film’s main characters throughout the session. However, watching the movie is not required. Those who haven’t seen it will still be able to fully understand and engage with the presentation.
This is a 3-hour presentation, including a refreshment break.
Through the stories of three main characters in The Shawshank Redemption, Darrin explores the powerful themes of hope, fear, and love—and what these themes can teach us about living with loss. When we work with people who are dying and support their loved ones, how do we hold space when grief, loss, distress, and shattered hearts take centre stage? The trauma accompanying grief and loss can create deep-rooted layers of fear and dread. Over time, these experiences can pull people away from joy, hope, renewed love, and the possibility of adjusting to life after loss. For families, this journey begins even before death, during the dying experience itself. For those of us who work alongside people who are dying, repeated exposure to profound grief and suffering can affect us too.
This presentation invites us to explore how we can move from a life shaped by fear toward one grounded in love and hope—both for ourselves and for the people and families we have the privilege of supporting.
What to Expect:
- A 3-hour interactive presentation
- Exploration of hope, fear, love, grief and loss
- Insights drawn from three characters in The Shawshank Redemption
- Opportunities for reflection and discussion
- Refreshment break included
Whether you work directly with people who are dying, support grieving families, or have experienced loss yourself, this presentation offers an opportunity to reflect on how we can make space for grief while continuing to find hope, love, and meaning.