Washington Funeral Resources & Education
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NW News Network Tells Mikaela's Story

12/18/2021

 
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"As people gather for the holidays, some use the opportunity to discuss difficult but important family topics. That includes what folks want to happen when they die and how they want to be remembered. Often when a death occurs, the next of kin hands the arrangements over to a funeral director in the moment of grief and stress. But some families are choosing to stay with the body and handle as much as they can themselves.

"Zaakera Stratman's daughter Mikaela, a University of Washington student, died unexpectedly at age 22 from a rare type of acute brain inflammation in 2018. Mikaela's death left the family in shock. But despite her grief, Zaakera resisted simply turning over the funeral arrangements to a professional."

So began the feature story distributed by the NW News Network, which serves 11 public radio stations in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Reporter Tom Banse shared some of Mikaela and Zaakera's story, detailed in three parts on our website: Hospital Vigil, Green Burial, and Transit Permit. The story is the first to introduce Washington Funeral Resources & Education to listeners around the state. We're getting great feedback on what's being called "such a helpful, informative piece."

Read the USA Today coverage of what inspired our non-commercial public information site in Oregon, and a Register Guard editorial on "Not Taking No for an Answer" when it comes to family- or community-directed care for the dead.

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Landscape photos courtesy of
Sean Proll
Justin Craig

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Washington Funeral Resources and Education is a non-commercial public interest site dedicated to helping Washington consumers care for their own dead with or without the assistance of a funeral director. See FuneralPartnership.org for more state funeral information. This site is maintained as a project of White Eagle Memorial Preserve and Sacred Earth Foundation, which coordinates responses to inquiries with other Washington-based organizations and practitioners that support the mission of the Funeral Partnership.
Disclaimer: 
This website has been created by volunteers making reasonable efforts to provide resources and materials for informational purposes only. Any information you obtain from this website is not legal advice and should not be relied upon without confirmation of current law. No warranties, expressed or implied, are made with respect to the information herein. There is no guarantee that the information contained here is complete or up-to-date as of the date that you view this site. ​The agencies linked via hyperlinks are responsible for the content of those sites. Their information is subject to change and should be consulted directly to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. Please report any inaccuracies to us in the form on the CONTACT page. Thank you!
  • Home
  • How To
    • Get Help Now
    • Learn the law
    • Have a Home Funeral
    • Perform Body Care >
      • Cooling Techniques
    • Complete Paperwork
    • Arrange Disposition
    • Transport the Dead
    • Create Ceremony
    • Go Out Greener
    • Pay for a Funeral
    • Work With Professionals
  • Learn More
    • Resources For Professionals
    • Tools for Community Education
    • Organizations, Articles, Books
    • Sample Forms
    • Glossary
    • Media Kit
    • Pandemic Care Guide >
      • Pandemic Care Guide
      • Practical Guidelines
      • Ceremony Resources
      • Articles
      • Covid-19 FAQs
    • FAQs
  • Read Stories
    • Read Their Stories
    • Heather's Story
    • Mikaela's Story, P 1
    • Mikaela's Story, P 2
    • Mikaela's Story, P 3
    • Alicia's Story
    • Rich's Story
    • Jake's Story
    • Briar's Story
    • Karen's Story
    • Lashanna's Story
  • Blog
  • Contact