{"id":35109,"date":"2024-10-03T07:00:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T07:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=35109"},"modified":"2024-11-08T21:29:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T21:29:18","slug":"bereavement-program-helps-mother-daughter-navigate-grief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/bereavement-program-helps-mother-daughter-navigate-grief\/","title":{"rendered":"Bereavement program helps mother, daughter navigate grief","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Sept. 21, 2022, 6-year-old Ana\u2019s world came crashing down when her baby sister Malia suddenly passed away. With their family reeling, Mom Kelsey sought a lifeline for Ana and herself through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marybridge.org\/patients-visitors\/patient-family-support-services\/bridges-center-for-grieving-children\/\">Bridges Center for Grieving Children<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Bridges was established in 1988 so that no child grieves alone. The program is part of MultiCare Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Hospital continuum of care and offers support groups for family members of individuals fighting critical illnesses or hospitalizations, bereavement groups for children and adults, and community education and training.<\/p>\n<p>Donations through <a href=\"https:\/\/give.multicare.org\/our-foundations\/mary-bridge-childrens-foundation\/\">Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Foundation<\/a> ensure all services remain available for Bridges members at no cost to them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was a school counselor in Tacoma schools, so I actually had referred families there to Bridges or to look into it,\u201d Kelsey explains. \u201cBut you never expect to experience an untimely death yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Support in a group setting<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Age-appropriate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marybridge.org\/patients-visitors\/patient-family-support-services\/bridges-center-for-grieving-children\/frequently-asked-questions\/#how-can-i-learn-more-or-join-a-support-group\">support groups<\/a> are at the heart of Bridges, where participants share memories, express feelings and connect with peers going through similar experiences.<\/p>\n<p>For Ana, the activities and camaraderie have been a source of healing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey do a lot of play and a lot of games, artwork and crafting, which is so age appropriate because sometimes they wanna open up and sometimes they don&#8217;t,\u201d Kelsey says. \u201cUsing play to talk about your loved one is kind of the best way for that age group to do a therapeutic setting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust being there, being a part of the activities, and being with the other kids is just so meaningful and helpful to Ana,\u201d Kelsey continues.<\/p>\n<p>Ana has regularly attended Bridges meetings for almost two years and left an impression on facilitator Derrick Vershave, along with her fellow support group members.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat stands out to me about Ana more than anything is her incredible perception and insight,\u201d Vershave shares. \u201cShe\u2019s very aware of the importance of being in group and the weight of her grief journey, and extends that care to the other children and adults around her by being so conscientious and compassionate.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Not just for kids<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A concurrent support group is also held for adults caring for grieving children, as they\u2019re often grieving themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe purpose of the adult groups is to find and bridge connections between other adults who may be going through similar struggles with their own grief and that of their children,\u201d writes Susan Hayes, a Bridges group facilitator.<\/p>\n<p>While Kelsey also underwent individual therapy after the death of her daughter, it was in Bridges that she found her support system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBridges is my preferred group and the people that I feel the most comfortable talking to,\u201d she reflects. \u201cBeing a parent of loss and sitting together and going around the circle and being face to face has just been so helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Life today<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Though Ana\u2019s and Kelsey\u2019s lives are forever changed, Kelsey shares that things aren\u2019t as dark as they once were.<\/p>\n<p>Ana too still has tearful moments when thinking about her sister, but Kelsey describes the now 8-year-old as incredibly well-adjusted and resilient. She\u2019s also a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re so lucky to have an amazing family and our parents and siblings \u2014 all of those people just helping show her love and caring for her,\u201d Kelsey says.<\/p>\n<p>Kelsey herself feels seen by community members who generously give to Bridges.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have so much gratitude and appreciation and thank yous to anyone who donates to the program,\u201d she says. \u201cI think, as parents of loss, we\u2019re forgotten about in society. The fact that we have this program is so helpful to those of us who are participating in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Understanding that it\u2019s often taboo to show or hold grief in public, Vershave further underscores the importance of donating.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy donating to Bridges and helping keep it running, you&#8217;re allowing families across Washington \u2014 yes, some travel great distances every week \u2014 to have a place they can be their full selves in a society in which they cannot, at their most vulnerable time in their lives,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Sept. 21, 2022, 6-year-old Ana\u2019s world came crashing down when her baby sister Malia suddenly passed away. With their family reeling, Mom Kelsey sought a lifeline for Ana and herself through Bridges Center for Grieving Children. Bridges was established in 1988 so that no child grieves alone. The program is part of MultiCare Mary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,75,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behavioral-health","category-foundations","category-profiles-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bereavement program helps mother, daughter navigate grief - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ana\u2019s world came crashing down when her baby sister suddenly passed away. 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