They were Here, They were Somebody, and They Still Matter: The Legacy Experiences and Perceptions of Bereaved Family Members

Jessika Boles, PhD, CCLS is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, and a Certified Child Life Specialist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies from Rhodes College, a Master's degree in Applied Child Studies from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology with a graduate certificate in Qualitative Research from the University of Memphis. She has been a practicing child life specialist for fourteen years, the first 8 of which were spent in pediatric and adolescent oncology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with the following years dedicated to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Dr. Boles is known for her research on the concept of legacy as it is perceived by various stakeholders and translated into clinical practices with children and families. Additionally, as the leader of the CHILL (Children's Healthcare, Illness, Legacy, and Loss) lab at Vanderbilt University, her research brings together multidisciplinary collaborators and student researchers to study the psychosocial needs and experiences of children and families in multiple contexts: pediatric critical care, medical complexity, developmental disabilities, adverse childhood experiences, and grief and bereavement. She has held multiple posts in the Association of Child Life Professionals, and currently serves as Lead Fellow for the Association of Child Life Professionals and as a voting member of the Institutional Review Board at Vanderbilt University and Medical Center. In her spare time, she enjoys punk rock, her family's home and menagerie of pets in Montana, and spending time with her children and husband.

Emily Boulos is currently completing a Master's in Child Studies at Vanderbilt University and completing the practical requirements needed to be able to sit for the CCLS exam. She is involved in several research projects addressing legacy and sibling bereavement, and is co-designing a study to examine caregiver perceptions of ICU-to-acute-care patient transitions. Emily is involved in several nonprofit organizations such as Make-A-Wish and Get Your Play Online.

Jenna Dunbar, MEd, CCLS, CIMI is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, MD and a recent graduate of the Applied Child Studies master’s program at Vanderbilt University. During graduate study, Jenna pursued specializations in pediatric healthcare and poverty and intervention, designing a unique intersection of research and application on which to focus her child life scholarship. Outside of her academic experience, Jenna was a graduate student worker in both clinical and research capacities with a quality improvement group at Vanderbilt University Medical Center called Team HOPE – an interdisciplinary team dedicated to the family-centered care of mother-infant dyads who are opioid exposed. She was also a key member of the team of authors who conceptualized, researched, composed, and published the Child Life Value Proposition Statement, “The Value of Certified Child Life Specialists: Direct and Downstream Optimization of Pediatric Patient and Family Outcomes,” on behalf of the ACLP. Jenna completed her child life practicum at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN and her clinical internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA.

Still involved today, Jenna began studying conceptions of legacy in pediatric healthcare environments during her graduate study, elucidating and analyzing the ways in which staff, parents/caregivers, and pediatric patients perceive the term and its related interventions, as well as bereaved family members. Jenna has presented this research in academic, clinical, and regional child life conference settings and is actively preparing a manuscript for publication regarding the ways in which pediatric patients conceptualize legacy.

Before embarking on her journey into child life, Jenna spent years working in journalism and advertising where she learned quickly how to do the typical atypically. Her experience using impactful communication and creative problem-solving contribute greatly to her clinical work and serve as cornerstones of her child life philosophy.

When she’s not working, Jenna enjoys international travel, exploring and learning through food, and making the perfect Spotify playlist. 

Maile Jones, MEd, CCLS, CIMI is currently a full-time research lab manager for the Stress and Coping Lab at Vanderbilt University where their research focuses on understanding the psychological, biological, and interpersonal processes in stress and coping among children and families facing healthcare adversities. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Health and Wellness from Tulane University, Maile spent a year in Australia working for the Starlight Children’s Foundation to expand her knowledge in international child life practice. She then moved to Nashville to pursue her graduate degree at Vanderbilt University. 

During her time in graduate school, Maile published and presented on a wide range of topics including the importance of play in healthcare settings, the ways in which children’s anxiety level and self-reported fear are influenced by medical play interventions, and pediatric patient and caregiver perceptions of legacy. Maile was also involved in the publication of the Child Life Value Proposition Statement that details the evidence-based outcomes associated with child life intervention. After completing her child life internship at Children’s Mercy Hospital and returning back to Nashville, Maile is excited to start her professional career as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt! In her free time, Maile enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, and playing tennis.