The Open to Hope Community

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Articles:

JANUARY 25: Joining in Memory of Jim – Dinah Taylor

HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Joining in Memory of Jim Hosts:? Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley With guest:? Dinah Taylor January 25, 2007 G:?Hello.? I?m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host H:?Dr. Heidi Horsley.? G:?Each week we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and conversation with those who have suffered the loss of a loved one and for health care professionals who work in this most difficult field.? As always the message is others have been there before you, you do not walk alone.? If you?re listening to our Thursday live Internet show, please […]

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January 25, 2007: Joining in Memory of Jim – Dinah Taylor

JANUARY 25, 2007 – JOINING IN MEMORY OF JIM – DINAH TAYLOR:? Dinah and her husband, Dr. James Taylor, president of the University of Cumberlands, Williamsburg Kentucky, lost their only child, Young Jim, in May of 1991 in an automobile accident.? After Jim’s death, Dinah honored him by contacting and supporting other parents who had lost children.? Dinah has a strong desire that the community remembered the deceased children of Williamsburg.? For ten years following Jim’s death, Dinah and her husband sponsored a bereavement conference at the University.? The conference was called J.I.M.’s picnic (Joining In Memory).? Join us on […]

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Coping with the Loss of a Loved One

When you have suffered the loss of a loved one, you may feel quite hopeless and life may seem to have lost its meaning. These feelings may last for months or years. Grieving is a completely individual process, there is no right way or wrong way to mourn the loss of those you love. However, there are several measures that can be taken which may help you cope through the darkest days.

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Moving On With Life

Sometimes life has the habit of kicking us in the teeth, perhaps through no fault of our own. Things gets tough and we have periods of sorrow and hurt, this could be the death of a loved one, a breakup of relationships or sickness. We have two options to dealing with what life throws at us and these are to give up and go into depression or to accept whatever happens in life and then move on with our lives, if we make the right choice then we grieve of course, then pick ourselves up and move on with our […]

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Lorraine Ash – 9AM PST – 12 Noon EST – January 18th

Lorraine Ash, 46, author of Life Touches Life: A Mother’s Story of Stillbirth and Healing, has been a full-time journalist since 1982, the year she earned her master’s degree at Fordham University in the Bronx. A native New Jerseyan, she began her newspaper career in her home state and has remained there, currently writing for the Daily Record in Parsippany, New Jersey. Her feature articles and series, particularly on women’s issues as well as physical and mental health, have won national, state, and regional awards and appeared in daily newspapers across the country. Lorraine, a member of The International Women’s […]

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I am Krystal’s eldest sister (Kina Long-Rewis), and this is the victim impact statement that I read to the judge (at the sentencing hearing):

I am Krystal’s eldest sister (Kina Long-Rewis), and this is the victim impact statement that I read to the judge (at the sentencing hearing): – – – – – To The Honorable Judge Dearing, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to share how the death of my sister, Krystal Long-Duss, has affected my life. I will try my best to find the words that properly describe the pain I am feeling for the tremendous loss of my little sister. For over eighteen months now; I have tried so hard to make sense of this situation, but I […]

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Dear Heidi,

Dear Heidi, You may use anything that I have sent you on your blog. I am honored that you would like to use it. If you can wait a day or two, Kina said she would resend her Victim Impact Statement to me. I can then send it to you. When she sent it to me the pictures were in color. I do not know why they are now in black and white. I would like you to see them in color also. Did you open the attachment with my Victim Impact Statement on one of my previous emails? I […]

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Wow Jo Ann,

Wow Jo Ann: What a powerful and moving e-mail. Thank-you so much for sharing so much of yourself and your daughter Krystal with me. I can’t even imagine the pain you’ve been through in losing your daughter. My heart goes out to you as a mother, as well as Krystal’s children, and sisters’. I can relate to what Krystal went through to get her wonderful boys, and I am so sorry that she is not hear to enjoy them as they grow up. After my 8 yr. old son was born I tried for yrs. to have another child, after […]

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Krystal’s Slide Show and Victim Impact Statement

Honorable Judge Dearing, My name is Jo Ann Webb. I am Krystal Duss’ mother. How can I give you a glimpse of the unspeakable, unthinkable, unimaginable despair, pain, suffering and deep grief of having my child killed by a drunk driver? December 9, 2003 seemed like a typical day. I went to work. I teach at a public high school. Krystal and I usually talked on the phone several times a day. She’d call just to say, “hi.” I’d call to see how her day was going and tell her that I loved her. On December 9, Krystal called to […]

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Dear Heidi,

Thank you so much for replying to my email. Your reply means a lot to me because I can only imagine how busy you must be with your professor schedule, working with 911 survivors, writing a book, co-hosting Healing the Grieving Heart with your mom, and having a family, with a new daughter too! Thank you for taking the time to reply. First, thank you for acknowledging the fact that Krystal had her life taken from her. My heart breaks because she did not get the chance the raise Daniel and Andrew. She and her husband Joe tried for 7 […]

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