OUR MISSION
Located in Michigan, The Beekeeper's Well is a Michigan non-profit organization designed to support bereaved parents, siblings, and family members by providing both peer and professional support and grief retreats, as well as holistic therapies offered by members of our network of support professionals.
We currently offer Itinerant Retreats, iideal for existing support groups or peer groups who are already established. We work with you to coordinate and facilitate a complete retreat anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. See more here. We also operate support groups virtually so that every person touched by the death of a child can access important support and encouragement through a peer network. Grieving parents and siblings need to be able to share their heartache safely with others who share that experience. Loved ones who want so desperately to be of help need guidance and support too, so that their efforts are welcome and effective.
Retreats are trauma-informed, all-inclusive, and designed along with input from mental health professionals who specialize in grief. We intend for participants to engage in deep rest and healing practices in private, natural settings. At this time, each retreat is designed for up to 8 individuals , or 5 pairs (parent couples, or parent + support person). Programming includes a peer facilitator and group sessions. Volunteers provide nourishing meals and clean-up. Activities may include yoga and breathwork, massage therapy, arts and crafts, campfires, nature walks, indoor and outdoor activities, and plenty of opportunities for rest and recovery.
We are committed to making retreats accessible to everyone by keeping them as affordable as possible.
MEET THE BOARD
Kate Burrows, Director, founded The Beekeeper's Well after attending a bereavement retreat at Luella's Lodge in Oakwood, IL following the unexpected death of her 12-year-old son Ephrem on May 22, 2021. She and husband Nick married in 1998 and have two surviving children; daughters Isabela, 23 and Greta, 21 .
Kate previously worked as a doula and midwifery student, and homeschooled her three children. These days, as she builds up The Beekeeper's Well, she is also working on a Bachelor's Degree in Marriage & Family Studies with a focus on grief through BYU - Idaho. She loves research, she loves to learn, and she has a heart especially for serving women and mothers. In addition to continuing her education, Kate works as a care manager in private-duty home health care in coordination with hospice. Her interests include music, nature, reading, writing, cooking, art, and travel.
Nick Burrows is the man behind the machine and our Co-Director. Following a dads retreat at Luella's Lodge, he was completely on board with Kate that there are not enough resources for grieving parents. Prior to Ephrem's death, Nick and Kate also endured five miscarriages interspersed with the births of Isabela, Greta, and Ephrem. The lack of grief resources is a real shame, and we can do better!
Nick is an engineer in the medical device field. He has been able to work from home since July 2021 in order to be with Kate and the girls more as they all learn the way forward in life. He has worked on medical devices such as abdominal aortic stents, spinal prosthetics, pharmaceutical delivery systems, and more. His interests include science-fiction, The Legend of Zelda, and movies. In retirement he hopes to train search & rescue dogs.
Karen Jones has worked in healthcare for the past 30 years, holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Public Health degree. She is currently the infection prevention clinical program manager at Wolters Kluwer. She's board-certified in infection prevention and is a Fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. She also supports University of Michigan's infection prevention research in long-term care settings. She's published multiple peer-reviewed research articles from work conducted both locally and nationally as a subject matter expert. Karen spent most of her nursing career as an emergency department nurse in Chicago and Detroit, as well as becoming a certified sexual assault nurse examiner for the Wayne County Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners' program (now Avalon), supporting survivors in Southeast Michigan.
Karen and her husband Charlie lost their oldest child, Colin, on October 21, 2021, just 18 months after his initial diagnosis of testicular cancer and a secondary diagnosis of acute leukemia. Colin was a 21-year-old global studies student at Wayne State University with a love of photography, family, friends, and traveling.
Karen has previously been an elected member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology - Great Lakes Chapter and has volunteered with New Day Foundation and American Red Cross. A native of the Thumb, she currently resides in Rochester Hills, MI with husband Charlie, sons Ethan and Parker, and daughter Campbell.
Emily Toney, our Secretary of the Board, was present and active in coordinating communication during Ephrem's hospitalization. She was a special support to Kate until Nick arrived from California. She took notes during conferences with the medical team. She took donations and provisioned Nick and Kate as they stayed at the hospital in a special Ronald McDonald House pod, and she cared for Isabela and Greta as we all waited.
Emily is a kickboxing trainer, and a cross-fitting, home decorating, extraordinary wife and mother of five. Her interests include music, reading, thrift store treasure hunting, family games, and theme parties, She has a special passion for postpartum doula work, and is the owner of Tending The Nest Postpartum Doula Services.
Jenny Crook generously gives her time as a professional grief coach by serving as a facilitator for our Bereaved Siblings Support Group. She works as a chart review analyst for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and has built her own grief coaching practice, Live Like Maddy, following the death of her 15-year-old daughter in 2021 from lifelong illness associated with a rare genetic disorder, and a diagnosis of cancer at the age of 12. Jenny also experienced the unexpected death of her own sister in 2018.
Jenny also serves on the board in her small town, and we count ourselves lucky she spends some free time nurturing and grieving with siblings for The Beekeeper's Well.
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