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A touching story for Valentines... Read
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Gali and her mom came to the Children's Grief Center before the funeral for advice on how to help Gali through the funeral and beyond. When Gali entered our office, she had not only experienced the loss of her beloved father, but her sister as well. She immediately wanted a hug of reassurance that everything would be okay and hoped that we could bring her daddy back. It broke our hearts to witness this young child's pain. We were able to make some suggestions about including Gali in the funeral plans and as a result, Gali drew a beautiful picture that she placed in her father's casket as a loving tribute. She recalls how special she felt to give her father that gift. When Gali first entered the program at the Center, she was consumed with thoughts about how her daddy had died. Her father had eaten pizza when he had been taken to the emergency room with stomach pain, so Gali believed that if she ate pizza, she would "catch" cancer. Gali also struggled with school. She had difficulty keeping her thoughts on math and reading as she constantly worried that something would happen to her mother. She was insecure about virtually everything. After several months of attending our peer grief support program, Gali began to feel more comfortable sharing her fears and concerns with the other children. She said "I can talk about my father here and not be afraid that anyone will make fun of me. I feel safe here." Tania also benefited with help from the Center. With the support of other parents and an opportunity to express her grief, Tania has begun to thrive and rebuild her life. She has completed her degree and went on to gain her MBA as her husband had encouraged her to do so. We have witnessed substantial growth, a renewed hope for the future and the strengthening of a young family. "I don't know what we would have done without the help of the Children's Grief Center," said Tania as she was about to leave. We, at the Children's Grief Center feel gratitude that we were able to help and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
February, 2005
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Tania Hermosillo was 26 years old when her husband, 31 year old Luis, died from cancer, leaving Tania with two young daughters, Gali (short for Galilea) age 5 and Samantha, age 8. Due to complicated circumstances, Samantha went to live with a fraternal aunt upon her father's death. Tania felt alone and helpless to cope with her grief, let alone the grief of her child.
