Where to Start | Post
1
Click on this post for recommended articles, radio shows and videos for those who are new to Open to Hope… Continue reading
Death of a Child
Welcome
Hello, I’m Particia Loder. Welcome to the Open to Hope Child Loss resource page. If you have lost a child I know how desperate, sad, and lonely you must be feeling. In 1991 my eight-year-old daughter, Stephanie, and five-year-old son, Stephen, died in a tragic car accident. At the time, I had no idea how to go on with my life, because they were my world. I found strength and courage to go on through connecting with others, and learned how much it helped to know that I was not alone. I am currently the Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends.
Filter Your Results
Show FilterHide Filter
Found 25 results
Tricia Wolfe: Dealing With Mental Illness | Open To Hope Radio
Tricia Wolfe’s life seemed perfect. She was married to a successful attorney and the mother of three boys. In 2003, her life changed when her son, Brad, was killed. She is the author of A Heart Torn, A Soul Mended: Continue reading
Alice Wisler: Getting Going After Loss | Open To Hope Radio
Alice J. Wisler is an author, speaker, and grief writing instructor. She is the Death of a Younger Child Forum moderator at Open to Hope. In 1997 her four-year-old son Daniel died from cancer treatments. Her new book is Getting Out of Bed Continue reading
Episode 9: Friends and Death; Grief Relief Television | Open To Hope TV
On this show Dr. Darcie Sims Denise and Alan Pedersen discuss how we lose and gain friends after deaths in the family. They also talk about their work with bereaved families on their travels called “Angels Across The USA”. Alan Continue reading
Love is Stronger than Death: The Power of Story | Post
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge – That myth is more potent than history. I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts – That hope always triumps over experience – That laughter is the only cure for … Continue reading
A Father’s Day Perspective | Post
by Sandy Fox Happy Father’s Day to all fathers. Today is your day, and I hope you celebrate it with loved ones. Many fathers react differently to this day depending on where they are in their lives, especially a bereaved … Continue reading
A Father’s Day Tribute to My Husband | Post
With Father’s Day approaching, I would like to take this opportunity to express my love and gratitude to the father of our sons, my husband, Alan. He carried us through those darkest times of early grief after the death of … Continue reading
I Finally Wrote THE LETTER to my Deceased Daughter | Post
For six years, I had heard about and read about the practice of writing a letter to a deceased loved one, and not mailing it. According to grief experts, writing a letter helps you to heal. Writing the letter also … Continue reading
Father’s Day Tough for Those Who Lost Child | Post
Happy Father’s Day to all fathers. Today is your day, and I hope you celebrate it with loved ones. Many fathers react differently to this day depending on where they are in their lives; it may be especially difficult for … Continue reading
Learning How to Smile Again | Post
When my daughter died, the pain was so overwhelming, the thought that I could ever feel any ounce of happiness again seemed ridiculous. In those early days of grief, the mere idea of being happy didn’t just feel impossible, it … Continue reading
Should You Write a Letter to a Deceased Loved One? | Topic
I had read about it long ago, the idea of writing a letter to a deceased loved one. The idea sounded like a good one, but I was reluctant to do it. Lost and forgotten emotions could overwhelm me. Maybe … Continue reading
Oklahoma Deaths Trigger Memories, a Sense of Blessing | Post
As used to my own grief as I am, every time I am aware of another life lost to less than a full life, my heart sinks and breaks again. I know loss and its hurts. I have been that … Continue reading
My Deathbed Scene: More Life Lessons After The Death of a Child | Post
My Reasons for Journaling Are Different Now I am a firm believer in creating and maintaining a written journal after loss or other life altering transitions. Journaling is a way to put uncensored thoughts and feelings on paper. Journaling also … Continue reading
Six Years Later, and I Still Miss My Daughter | Topic
Six years after my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash, I can say, in all honesty, that the searing pain of grief has lessened. The sobbing has passed and, though I cried once during a … Continue reading
Grief Has No Borders | Post
When I was in Brussels, Belgium, recently, I found a reference to Compassionate Friends (the organization for parents who have lost a child to death) and a couple’s phone number in a magazine called The Bulletin. I called the number … Continue reading
Being my Grandchildren's Guardian | Topic
I never thought I would become my grandchildren’s guardian and raise teenagers again. But that is what happened after my daughter and her former husband were killed in separate car crashes. My grandkids, one boy and one girl, were 15 … Continue reading
M is for Mother's Day and Memories | Topic
The day before Mother’s Day this website posted my article, “A Mother’s Love Lives On.” I included a refrain in the article, a sentence that declared I would always love my daughter. It was the truth. My truth is also … Continue reading
It’s The Simple Things That Matter The Most In Our Grief Journeys | Post
Cemetery Discomfort I have always been uncomfortable in cemeteries ever since I can remember. My discomfort surrounding cemetery visits magnified one hundred fold after my daughter Jeannine’s death in March of 2003. Watching my daughter’s coffin being lowered into the … Continue reading
Poem: Our Last Mother’s Day | Post
Our last Mother’s Day together you bought me a hammock. I remember your excitement as I opened it and my anticipation as you gleefully put it together. We all tried it out of course, each of us one at a … Continue reading
A Mother’s Love Lives On | Post
My daughter died in 2007 from the injuries she received in a car crash. At the time of her death, she was soaring in life. She was a composite engineer, had an MBA, six industry certifications, a job she enjoyed, … Continue reading
Happy Mother’s Day to Every ‘Good-Enough Mother’ | Post
For many of us, Mother’s Day stirs something deeply loving. For others, ambivalent feelings abide. You see, after thirty-three years in the counseling field and drying the tears off many faces, I can accurately say that not every woman feels … Continue reading
Want to Fast Forward Through Mother’s Day? | Post
Have you ever wished you had a huge remote and could fast-forward through something? A tedious conversation, or maybe the perky dental hygienist with a terrifying tray of metal weapons? I have. Mother’s Day isn’t supposed to be on that … Continue reading
Tricia Wolfe: Dealing With Mental Illness | Open To Hope Radio
Tricia Wolfe’s life seemed perfect. She was married to a successful attorney and the mother of three boys. In 2003, her life changed when her son, Brad, was killed. She is the author of A Heart Torn, A Soul Mended: … Continue reading
Could Writing Help the Boston Survivors? | Post
The bombings in Boston have left me in tears. Every time I hear the news, see the photos of those who died or were wounded, I want to curl up and block it all out. It is much the way … Continue reading
Helping Others Helps the Griever | Post
As I read about the grieving process, I noticed many suggest we should do something nice for someone else. It’s hard to think of reaching out to another person when you feel so broken, but doing so opens our eyes … Continue reading
Springtime Thoughts Lead to Children Who Have Died | Post
After an unusually, stormy, cold winter all over the nation, spring has finally arrived. The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and the flowers are now blooming. Along with nature’s beauty comes thoughts of our children who … Continue reading
Alice Wisler: Getting Going After Loss | Open To Hope Radio
Alice J. Wisler is an author, speaker, and grief writing instructor. She is the Death of a Younger Child Forum moderator at Open to Hope. In 1997 her four-year-old son Daniel died from cancer treatments. Her new book is Getting Out of Bed … Continue reading
Bereaved Parent Lives Life in Kairos Time | Post
Six years have passed since my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Three other family members died the same year. As I look back on my bereavement journey, I see spikes of grief – a … Continue reading
What do you like to remember the most? | Topic
When I think of my son, 4-year-old Daniel, I think of how he peed in the bushes, picked green tomatoes and loved to watch Toy Story. I recall his giggle and his smile. I can feel his soft hands wrapped … Continue reading