About the event
What happens when the person whose job it was to keep you alive learns that death was never the enemy?
In this deeply personal and practically grounded talk, Danielle Slupeksy shares her journey from emergency room nurse to death doula, anchored by a near-death experience that transformed everything she thought she knew about living and dying. Her presentation moves through three phases: life on the front lines of emergency medicine, where death was the enemy; the NDE that cracked that worldview open; and the work she now does helping individuals and families approach death with intention, grace, and dignity.
This talk is for anyone who has ever felt the tension between knowing, on some level, that death is not the end, and still feeling unprepared, afraid, or uncertain about how to face it or talk about it. Danielle offers both the inspiration of lived experience and practical guidance for preparing for death consciously, including how to start conversations with loved ones, what end-of-life wishes and documents to have in place, and how to be present with someone who is dying.
At the heart of this presentation is a powerful shift in perspective: death is not a failure, it is a passage. This is not a talk about fear. It is a talk about what becomes possible when we stop looking away. Attendees will leave with greater clarity, real language for conversations many families avoid, and a deeper understanding of how facing death openly can make life richer, more intentional, and more free.
About danielle
Danielle Slupeksy has spent her life caring for others, beginning as an EMT at age 18 and later serving as an ER nurse. In 2013, a life-threatening illness and near-death experience transformed her understanding of life and death. Months of recovery taught her surrender, resilience, and deep compassion for those facing serious illness and end-of-life.
Today, as a death doula, Danielle guides individuals and families through these vulnerable transitions, helping them plan, make informed choices, and approach death with love, courage, and dignity. Her purpose and passion are to support her clients and their families through this natural passage with peace, meaning, and grace.
Danielle holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cal State Hayward and is a Certified End-of-Life Guide and Death Doula through the Conscious Dying Institute.
Danielle’s Website:
https://www.deathdouladanielle.com/
Danielle’s Social Media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-slupesky-83a534269/
Danielle’s Services:
https://calendly.com/deathdouladanielle/initial-consultation-with-death-doula-danielle
This event will be recorded and available to view on our Videos page 3-5 business days after the live event!