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Nov. 15 is for the ‘forgotten mourners’

The holiday season is approaching and is a particularly difficult time for many who grieve, especially for children.
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Cowichan Hospice staff and volunteers wearing blue shirts and holding the “Holding On To HOPE” symbol to participate in Children’s Grief Awareness Day. (Submitted)

The holiday season is approaching and is a particularly difficult time for many who grieve, especially for children.

Children’s Grief Awareness Day is Thursday, Nov. 15 this year, and it’s a good day to bring attention to the fact that often support can make a world of difference in the life of a grieving child.

“One in five children will experience a loss of someone close to them by age 18 and one in 20 children will lose a parent by the same age,” said Cowichan Hospice grief support volunteer, Rosemary Gravelle. “As one young child said after losing her father, ‘Sadness is big when you are small’.”

Gravelle said children can sometimes be referred to as the “forgotten mourners”. The common misconception is that children are able to just get over it.

“The intense inner turmoil that children may experience is often invisible to most,” she said. “Research shows increased anxiety about further loss, separation, and concerns over the safety of their family can arise following a loss.”

Cowichan Hospice supports parents and family members of grieving children through one-to-one grief support, wellness treatments, and resources. Its lending library includes a number of books about children and grief and is available to anyone to borrow, free of charge.

For more information, call 250-701-4242 or drop by 3122 Gibbins Rd.

Join in the conversation and use hashtag #CGADHope to show children who are grieving that you are “holding onto hope” for them.

“Thankfully support can make all of the difference in the lives of grieving children and teens. You might be wondering, what can I do? Grieving people of all ages just want to be heard and not judged. Just show up and be there,” Gravelle noted. “Without ever knowing it, you may end up being that one person in a child’s life who will make all the difference in their world.”

For more information, please visit www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org



Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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