National Death Doula Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
Doulagivers identifies April 20 as National Death Doula Day, and observance-registration records trace its creation to Doulagivers in 2019.
About National Death Doula Day
National Death Doula Day is an awareness observance held on April 20 to recognize death doulas and increase public understanding of non-medical end-of-life support.
Creator-distributed launch material identifies Suzanne B. O’Brien and Doulagivers with the 2019 creation and announces April 20, 2019 as the first national observance.
Why National Death Doula Day matters
The day focuses on awareness of the death-doula profession and the non-medical practical, emotional and educational support doulas may provide to dying people and their families.
It should not be used to imply that a death doula replaces licensed medical, hospice, legal or mental-health professionals.
History of National Death Doula Day
In 2019, Suzanne B. O’Brien and the International Doulagivers Institute launched National Death Doula Day.
Creator-distributed material identifies April 20, 2019 as the first National Death Doula Day.
Doulagivers continues to use April 20 for education and awareness about death doulas and end-of-life support.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Suzanne B. O’Brien RN / International Doulagivers Institute
Creator-distributed launch material identifies O’Brien as founder of National Death Doula Day and Doulagivers as the creating organization.
International Doulagivers Institute / Suzanne B. O’Brien
National Death Doula Day public launch announcement
First documented observance
The creator-distributed launch calls April 20, 2019 the very first national Death Doula Day.
Doulagivers / Suzanne B. O’Brien
Doulagivers continues to publish and teach around National Death Doula Day on April 20.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe National Death Doula Day
Learn what death doulas do and how their non-medical role differs from hospice, nursing, medicine and legal services.
Attend an educational discussion, webinar or community event about end-of-life planning and support.
Use the day to encourage thoughtful conversations about wishes, caregiving and support while respecting privacy and cultural differences.
When seeking care, verify professional qualifications and involve appropriate licensed clinicians and legal professionals as needed.
National Death Doula Day Facts
National Death Doula Day is observed on April 20.
Creator-distributed launch material says it was created in 2019.
The launch identifies Suzanne B. O’Brien as founder and creator.
April 20, 2019 is identified as the first national observance.
Death doulas provide non-medical end-of-life support and do not replace licensed medical care.
National Death Doula Day Messages
On National Death Doula Day, may families have access to compassionate, informed and respectful support at the end of life.
May today encourage thoughtful conversations about end-of-life wishes, caregiving and dignity.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Creator-distributed launch release (opens in a new tab)
Doulagivers — National Death Doula Day April 20 (opens in a new tab)
Original Organizer
National Day Archives — National Death Doula Day (opens in a new tab)
Observance Registrar
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Death Doula Day?
20 April The documented recurrence rule is: 20 April.
Does National Death Doula Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Death Doula Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / Doulagivers-created end-of-life doula awareness day. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Death Doula Day?
The reviewed sources identify International Doulagivers Institute / Suzanne B. O’Brien as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Suzanne B. O’Brien RN / International Doulagivers Institute. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Doulagivers / Suzanne B. O’Brien.
Is National Death Doula Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / Doulagivers-created end-of-life doula awareness day.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.
When is National Death Doula Day?
It is observed on April 20.
Who created National Death Doula Day?
Creator-distributed launch material identifies Suzanne B. O’Brien, founder of the International Doulagivers Institute, as its creator in 2019.
What is a death doula?
A death or end-of-life doula is a non-medical support person who may provide practical, emotional and educational support around dying and end-of-life care.
Other observances on April 20
These observances are also listed on April 20, 2027.
Chinese Language Day
United Nations language observance
National Bunion Day
Treace Medical Concepts announced the first-ever National Bunion Day in the United States on 16 April 2024, states that it founded the observance, and sets it on the third Tuesday of April…
National Look Alike Day
National Day Calendar preserves creator Jack Etzel’s first-person account of originating the observance in Pittsburgh in the 1980s and contacting Chase’s Calendar, while Pittsburgh Magazine…