‘Powerful’ grief cabaret transforms Edenhope crowd

Former local Jodie Atkinson wrote and performed the show, detailing the sudden death of her husband and societal responses to death and grief. 

The raw performance, sprinkled with jokes and vocal prowess, took the audience on a journey through mixed emotions; raucous laughter was contrasted by quiet sobbing. 

The event was hosted by suicide prevention group Lifeforce Edenhope and Grampians Health Edenhope community health nurse, Cath McDonald. 

“Considering Edenhope’s total population is about 900, it was remarkable to see such a great turnout with people from all walks of life,” Cath said. 

“It was such a powerful show and every single person came out with a new perspective on grief and the way we respond to it. 

“We’ll never be able to measure the impact this will have on our community, but it will be profound.” 

Jodie is also sharing her story in support of this week’s national ‘Dying to Know Day’ campaign, which encourages people to understand and plan for death. 

Her husband, Craig Atkinson, was a passionate advocate for organ donation and made it clear he wanted to be a donor. 

He discussed plans with Jodie and documented his intentions on his driver’s licence. 

But in the midst of his shock cancer diagnosis and sudden deterioration of his health, the topic was lost amongst the treatment, medications, appointments and ongoing changes to life as they knew it. 

“He was in hospital and really, really unwell when he reminded me, ‘I’m an organ donor’,” Jodie said. 

“Everything happened so quickly, things changed so much from day-to-day, and we were focused on managing his condition. 

“It wasn’t at the forefront of our minds, even though his wishes were so clear.” 

After a discussion about what was possible, in the context of his illness, Craig decided to donate his corneas. 

While she was in a state of grief, fear and confusion Jodie navigated the system. 

“I knew what needed to happen to make sure Craig’s wishes were honoured, and a big part of that was after-death care, to make sure his eyes and corneas were protected,” she said. 

“I knew how important it was to him, to give whatever he could, so it became incredibly important to me. 

"Those precious corneas gifted two people sight and that brings profound joy and pride." 

Jodie is now a strong advocate for conversations about Advance Care Directives and End-of-Life plans, urging young people to consider their options. 

The legally-binding directives include preferences for future medical treatment, ranging from general values to specific instructions, in the event you are no longer able to communicate wishes. 

“It’s so important to think about things like organ donation and what you’d like your funeral to look like – even when you’re young and healthy,” Jodie said. 

“Craig was a fit, healthy, active man who was up walking the dog five kilometres every morning. 

“He was 52 and this came out of nowhere, so we weren’t prepared.” 

Jodie, who went on to become a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and End of Life doula, wrote ‘Have You Met My Grief?’ in an attempt to change societal conversations about death and grief. 

For information and assistance with Advance Care Directives and End-of-Life planning, contact the Grampians Health Edenhope HUB: 5585 9830.