Cook Children's Spiritual Care

Group of children sitting on a bench

Because everyone has spirit!

Spiritual Care exists to nature the spirit of Cook Children's. Chaplains are clinically and theologically trained professionals who offer non-judgmental, compassionate care in a variety of ways:

Spiritual, emotional, and grief support
Reflective listening and meaning-making conversations
Spiritual, religious and cultural services & resources (sacred text, religious based dietary options, sacraments, prayer supplies, facilitate support with outside faith and cultural communities, etc.)

Fort Worth:

Chaplains in the Spiritual Care Department in Fort Worth offer support to patients and families 24 hours a day, including weekend and holidays. To contact a chaplain, call 682-885-4000 and ask the operator to page the on-call chaplain.

Sacred spaces for reflection, mediation, prayer or solitude:

The Erma Lowe Chapel is located on the second floor of the medical center's main building.
The Meditation Room is located on the first floor of the medical center's South Tower, just past Goodies to Go.

Prosper:

Our chaplains at Cook Children's in Prosper are available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon-Thur.

Sacred space for reflection, mediation, prayer or solitude:

The interfaith chapel is located on the second floor of the medical center's main building.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call or text 9-8-8
Suicidepreventionlifeline.org includes more information, resources, and also has a chat feature

Crisis Text Line

In crisis? Text HELLO to 741741
Crisistextline.org includes more information, resources, and also has a chat feature

If you experience suicidal thoughts and have a plan to hurt yourself or others, please call 9-1-1. It is ok to ask for help.

Prayer Bear Adventures | Prayer Bear Program | Cook Children's

The PrayerBear Program began in 1997 as a way for local faith communities and organizations to support Cook Children's patients and families through prayer. Over the last 25 years the program has continued to grow and evolve. On average, over 300 bears are delivered to patients across the Medical Center each week!

The PrayerBear Program aims to give the gift of a soft, huggable PrayerBear and a copy of the book PrayerBear's Big Adventure to every child spending the night in our hospital.

All PrayerBears are donated or funded by generous groups and individuals, including faith communities, schools, community groups, clubs, companies and not-for-profit groups.

Fun fact: a significant portion of the bear donations we receive come from former Cook Children's patients and families who received a PrayerBear during their time here!

If you are interested in making a contribution to support the PrayerBear program, please make a direct donation here.

Contact our Interfaith Ministry Specialist via email at PrayerBear@cookchildrens.org or by phone 682-885-7218 if you or your organization are interested in donating new teddy bears.

Girl holding prayerbear

Spiritual care rooms

The Erma Lowe Chapel at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth is always open and located on the second floor of the main building across from elevator B.

The chapel is designed to provide a place for prayer, meditation and peace for all people.

There are Qur'ans, Tanakhs, and Bibles in various languages for patient families to utilize.

The chapel is equipped with prayer rugs, rosaries, the qibla, and a tabernacle for the host to reserve sacrament for Holy Communion.

There are religious resources for families to utilize including Qur'ans, Tanakh, Bibles, prayer rugs and rosaries.

Stained glass at Prosper

The interfaith chapel at Cook Children's Medical Center in Prosper is always open and located on the second floor of the medical center's main building.

The chapel is designed to provide a place for prayer, meditation and peace for all people.

There are religious resources for families to utilize including Qur'ans, Tanakh, Bibles, prayer rugs and rosaries.

meditation room Fort Worth

The Meditation Room is located on the 1st floor of the medical center's South Tower, just past Goodies to Go.

The Meditation Room is designed to provide a space for reflection, meditation, prayer, or solitude.

Children praying

Cook Children's Medical Center offers an Interfaith Prayer Ministry that connects individuals and local congregations to patients, families, and medical center staff.

More than 17 prayer partners from many faiths receive the medical center's HIPAA compliant weekly prayer list and support Cook Children's community through prayer.

If you would like to receive the weekly email prayer list or request a specific prayer, please call 682-885-4030.

End of life support

The death of a child is an unspeakably painful experience.

The choices following the death of a child may feel overwhelming.

Some find it helpful for a friend or family member to help collect information on their behalf. Here is some basic information and resources to help guide the process:

If the Medical Examiner is not involved with your child's circumstances, staff will ask if you have selected a funeral home to care for your child's body.

You do not select a funeral home before leaving the hospital.

Cook Children's cannot recommend the use of specific funeral homes, but we can provide a list of funeral homes based upon your location.

Things to consider when selecting a funeral home:

Funeral costs vary dramatically from one funeral home to the next, even for the same type of services.
Cremation typically costs less than a burial.
Request a line-item invoice before signing a contract.
If your child's death was the result of a crime, funding from the state may be available.
There are funeral homes that follow specific religious and cultural practices.
For additional guidance, Carson's Village is an organization that provides direction when planning a funeral.

Once you have chosen a funeral home:

Contact the Cook Children's Nursing supervisor with your selection by calling 682-885-4000.
Contact the medical examiner with your selection by calling the number associated with your medical center's location:

Tarrant County: 817-920-5700
Denton County: 940-349-2870

Discussion topics with the funeral home:

Dates, prices and terms of contract.
After contract is signed, inform the funeral home that Cook Children's will pay up to $1,000 towards the cost of the funeral.

Accessing funeral funding:

Call the Spiritual Care team at 682-885-4030 to ask for funeral funding.

Responsibilities of funeral home requesting payment:

Provide Cook Children's a copy of the funeral home's W-9 tax form and a copy of the signed purchase agreement.

Send the required documents to Cook Children's Spiritual Care team by faxing 682-885-7969 or emailing bereavement@cookchildrens.org

If you consented to an autopsy to occur at Cook Children's Medical Center, our staff will contact the funeral home of your choice after the autopsy. We aim to complete autopsies within 48 hours after a death.

Autopsy results take around 90 days to complete. A chaplain will notify you when the results are available and offer to arrange an autopsy conference for you and a physician to discuss the results.

Medical records authorization

Divulgar información médica protegida

If the Medical Examiner requested to examine your child's body by their office, your child's body remains in their care until their exam is complete.

In order for the Medical Examiner to release your child's body to the funeral home of your choice, you must call the Medical Examiner's office directly and provide the funeral home information.

The Medical Examiner's office is not part of Cook Children's Medical Center. Information can be found below:

Tarrant County Medical Examiner

817-920-5700 phone
Website

Denton County Medical Examiner

940-349-2870 phone
Website

Spiritual Care Department's Bereavement Program

Beyond immediate grief support, chaplains engage in bereavement care for 13 months following the death of a child through phone calls, letters, cards, grief resources, support groups, and camps.

The Cook Children's Grief Support Group runs.
Cook Children's Camp Morning Star or Camp El Tesoro de la Vida.

Email the Spiritual Care Department for more information: Bereavement@cookchildrens.org.

Additional resources include:

Compassionate Friends - Resources
The Warm Place - Grief Support for Children
A Memory Grows - Grief Retreats
The Art Station - Healing Through Art
Team Mercy - Grief support for Bereaved Siblings

Some books on grief:

For adults

Getting Grief Right: Finding Your Story of Love in the Sorrow of Loss, Patrick O'Malley
It's OK That You're Not OK, Megan Devine – this book is available on audio through the Libby App (you will just need a library card to access). The best part is, it's free!
The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, Susan Cain – also available on the Libby App!
The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief, Jan Richardson
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working through Grief, Martha Whitmore Hickman

For children

The Invisible String, Patrice Karst
A Kids Book About Death, Taryn Schuelke
The Grief Rock, Natasha Daniels

walk of honor

Cook Children's recognizes organ and tissue donor families through the Walk of Honor, located on our Fort Worth medical center campus near the Dodson Specialty Clinic. The first name of each donor is etched into a beautiful glass plaque. At night, colorful lights illuminate the names.

For more information on the Walk of Honor, please contact the Spiritual Care Department via email at Bereavement@cookchildrens.org.

To unsubscribe from Spiritual Care mailings:

The Spiritual Care Department at Cook Children's is here for you, even if that means you no longer want to be contacted or receive mailings. To be removed from future communications, please provide your name and your child's name to our office by calling 682-885-4030 or emailing the information to bereavement@cookchildrens.org.

El Departamento de Cuidado Espiritual de Cook Children's está aquí para ayudarlo, incluso si eso significa que ya no desea que lo contactemos ni que reciba correo. Para ser eliminado de comunicaciones futuras, proporcione su nombre y el nombre de su hijo a nuestra oficina llamando al 682-885-4030 o enviando la información por correo electrónico a bereavement@cookchildrens.org.

Cook Children's Spiritual Care

Because everyone has spirit!

Crisis resources

PrayerBear Program

Erma Lowe Chapel – Fort Worth

Interfaith chapel – Prosper

The Meditation Room – Fort Worth

Prayer requests

End of life support

Funeral home selection

Autopsy information

Medical examiner

Bereavement

Spiritual Care Department's Bereavement Program

Additional resources include:

Some books on grief:

Walk of Honor

To unsubscribe from Spiritual Care mailings: