New Hope for Grieving Kids

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Today, fatherless children will turn their heads at the sound of a front door, but it won’t be the person they’re looking for. Tonight, some children will lay down on their beds without a goodnight kiss from their mother. These things that most of us hope to never experience have become a somber reality for many. By now the world is well aware of the tragedy that took place on October 1, at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. Mothers and fathers were senselessly killed. Brothers and sisters were ripped from their sibling’s lives. Friends were taken in a cowardly act of violence. Children will forever live with the question, “Why?” These victims’ lives were taken but there are still lives that remain, lives that must go on without them, lives that have been thrust onto the road of grief.

The children of Keri Lynn Galvan will never get to hold their mother again. Rocio Guillen Rocha, who gave birth to a son just weeks ago, will never again hold his tiny hand. All that Brian Fraser’s four children have to hold on to now are memories. But memories can not replace their father’s arms. Losing someone we love creates a hole that nothing in the world can fill. Grief itself is a taboo subject in our culture, we don’t like to talk about it. It’s uncomfortable for us. We don’t know what to say or how to approach it. We sweep the broken pieces under the rug and try to move on. But what about children? Many believe in a mythical timeline that grief supposedly follows, enough time will heal it, eventually. Time allows us to close our eyes for a moment but it never lets us forget. Many children who have suffered the loss of a loved one feel as if they’re on their grief journey alone, caught in two realities, the brave face for all to see and the hurting soul that goes through life in isolation. These children lack the necessary resources to cope with the grief they feel every day. Some children lack a safe and supportive environment to deal with the fallout of losing someone close to them. In many cases, parents of these children have lost their spouse and are learning to cope with their own grief. These children often feel alone, like they’re standing just offshore while the waves of heartache crash on them continually with no one to rescue them. But there is hope. There are resources out there to aid in their journey. There are other children just like them who are facing similar struggles.

The National Alliance for Grieving Children has compiled a list of grief support providers from across the country who serve children, teens, and families in their grief journeys. Help does exist. Locally, New Hope for Kids has been serving Central Florida children and families in Maitland, Florida since 1996. Through their program, the Center for Grieving Children, New Hope has served hundreds of children and families by providing a safe and supportive environment where children can share their experience with other children facing similar struggles. In addition to age-appropriate peer groups, ranging from 3 to 18 years old, New Hope also offers parent support groups. These programs are run by extensively trained grief facilitators. Unfortunately, these types of programs are not widely known. Gloria Capozzi, Marketing and Volunteer Manager at New Hope for Kids, believes this has to do with the stigma that often accompanies grief. When asked why she thought the public remains largely unaware of such programs she said, “Grief is a difficult subject for adults and it is surrounded by many myths. We have come to believe that the process must look a certain way and act a certain way when in reality it is different for everyone.” These types of programs provide a beacon of hope for hurting families as one mother noted, “Until we started coming to New Hope for Kids, I didn’t know if my kids and I would’ve been able to feel happy again after their dad died.”

Grief is often referred to as a journey for those who have experienced it, traveling from one moment to the next, from one memory to another. Grief doesn’t come with a timeline or expiration date, you can’t circle a date on the calendar and decide that it’s over. It is lifelong. Tragedies will continue to happen. Evil people will continue to do evil things. Sickness will come. Front doors will still open without the person we want turning the key and the bedtime routines will often be tearful, but there is hope. There are people and organizations out there whose sole motivation is to help hearts heal.

To learn more about the grief support program in Central Florida you can visit New Hope for Kids. For information regarding national grief support group listings, you can visit the National Alliance for Grieving Children. - Jacob Pippin, Rollins College Public Relations Student

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