A traditional medical career wasn’t enough for Kacie Gikonyo. After 12 years as a registered nurse, she found her true calling in an unexpected place: death. As a death doula, she helps terminally ill clients and their families find peace in their final days. However, it is not about stopping death. It is about making the experience meaningful.
Her transition was not easy, but it felt right. During her nursing years, she became the go-to person for patients nearing the end. She guided families through their toughest moments, often feeling like she was doing more than what her job required.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The loss she witnessed was staggering. People were dying alone, and she knew something had to change.
From Nurse to Death Doula
In a hospital, death is clinical. Patients pass under harsh lights, hooked to machines, often without the comfort of their loved ones. Gikonyo saw it every day. When she learned about death doulas, something clicked. The next day, she enrolled in training.
Voyager / Seeing people die every day, the registered nurse decided to transition and become a death doula. Now, it is a “more fulfilling” job for her.
Soon after, she launched her own business, stepping away from her medical career to guide people through their final journey in a more human way. Now, she helps people prepare for death - emotionally, spiritually, and logistically. She ensures that they and their families have a plan and, more importantly, peace.
How Does Gikonyo Work?
A common misconception is that a death doula only shows up at the very end. That is not how Gikonyo works. She begins as soon as someone receives a terminal diagnosis. This way, she builds a relationship with the client and their family long before the final moments arrive.
She helps them plan their goodbyes, sort out legal affairs, and create what she calls a "legacy project." It is a personal tribute - a video, a letter, or a collection of memories - to leave behind for their loved ones. In a time filled with loss, this project offers something lasting, something to hold onto.
She Guides Families Through the Hardest Conversations
Facing death is terrifying, but Gikonyo believes it doesn’t have to be. She prepares families for what is coming - the sights, the sounds, the emotional weight of it all. These conversations are hard, but they make the unknown feel just a little less scary.
Mike / Pexels / By explaining what to expect, she helps families stay present instead of panicking when the time comes.
She gives them the tools to cope, so when the final moments arrive, they can focus on love rather than fear.
Caring for the Living, Too
While her main focus is the dying, she doesn’t forget about those left behind. Many of her clients are young, leaving behind spouses, children, and parents who will need support long after they are gone.
That is why her work extends beyond death itself. She helps families navigate grief, ensuring they have resources to process their loss. Death may be inevitable, but the way people experience it can be transformed.
You bet! Leaving behind a stable medical career was not an easy choice, but for Gikonyo, it was the right one. As a nurse, she saw death as a failure of medicine. Now, she sees it as a natural part of life. One that deserves care and attention just like birth does.
