Open to Hope Articles

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OCTOBER 12, 2006 – DEATH OF AN ADULT CHILD: NATALIE SMITH-BLAKESLEE

Posted on October 12, 2006 - by admin

OCTOBER 12, 2006 – DEATH OF AN ADULT CHILD:? NATALIE SMITH-BLAKESLEE.? For more than ten years Natalie Smith-Blakeslee has connected parents with the children they have lost with her “Messages from the Light” She thought she understood what it was like for a parent to lose a child. She had no clue until her 27 year old daughter, Carrie, passed from leukemia on October 2, 2005. Just twelve short months after her daughter passing, she is driven to help other bereaved parents who endure the same loss through a website she made in memory of Carrie called “Healing Hearts Haven.”? […]

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OCTOBER 26, 2006 ? COMING TO TERMS WITH LOSS: DONNA SCHUURMAN

Posted on October 6, 2006 - by admin

OCTOBER 26, 2006 ? COMING TO TERMS WITH LOSS:? DONNA SCHUURMAN, National Director of The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families, where she has served in various roles since 1986.? She has written and trained internationally on children?s bereavement issues, and is the author of Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent.? Dr. Schuurman served as President of the Board of Directors for the Association for Death Education & Counseling, and in 2003 received their Annual Service Award.? She is a member of the International Work Group on Death and Dying, and serves as […]

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OCTOBER 5, 2006 ? COPING AND SURVIVING AFTER THE DEATHS OF TWO CHILDREN: ELAINE E. STILLWELL, M.A., M.S.

Posted on October 5, 2006 - by admin

Elaine E. Stillwell, M.A., M.S., is a wife, mother, educator, author and lecturer.? In 1986 following the deaths of her two oldest children, 21 year old Denis and 19 year old Peggy, Elaine and her husband, Joe, founded The Compassionate Friends of Rockville Centre (NY) where they continue as Chapter Leaders today.? Elaine has shared her gifts of caring and humor at workshops, seminars, and on radio and television.? She also writes magazine articles, pamphlets, books and has a column in Grief Digest.? Since 1998 she has been Bereavement Coordinator for 134 parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The […]

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 ? FOUR MOTHERS COPE WITH LOSS: ANNE DIONNE, DEBORAH LEBOUF KULKKULA, YVONNE LANCASTER AND JANE MAKI

Posted on September 7, 2006 - by admin

SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 ? FOUR MOTHERS COPE WITH LOSS: ANNE DIONNE, DEBORAH LEBOUF KULKKULA, YVONNE LANCASTER AND JANE MAKI are four bereaved mothers from Massachusetts who joined together to write the newly published book, ?Every Step of the Way: How Four Mothers Coped with Child Loss.? They came together through compassion for one another and a desire to share their stories of lost sons. Each woman shares her personal grief journey of coping through the long dark days of bereavement, to ultimately arriving at peaceful acceptance. Their collective mission is to help others to cope with child loss with the […]

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August 10, 2006 Healing After a Loved One?s Suicide: Bill Ritter

Posted on August 10, 2006 - by admin

HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Healing After a Loved One?s Suicide Host: Dr. Gloria Horsley With guest: Bill Ritter August 10, 2006 G: Hello. I?m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley. Each week, we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and renewal for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a sibling and as always our message is others have been there before you and made it and you will, too. Well, Heid, this morning I wanted to discuss a couple of emails that we got. One of them was […]

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August 3, 2006 Surviving a Sibling: Scott Mastley

Posted on August 3, 2006 - by admin

HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Surviving a Sibling Host: Dr. Gloria Horsley With guest: Scott Mastley August 3, 2006 G: Hello. I’m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley. Each week, we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and renewal for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a sibling or a grandchild and the message for us is always that others have been there before you and made it and so can you. You do not walk alone. Well, good morning, Heidi. I thought we’d start the morning by covering […]

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JULY 27, 2006 ? GRIEF AND YOUR HEALTH: TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF: CORALEASE C. RUFF, RN, PH.D.,

Posted on July 27, 2006 - by Coralease Ruff

Coralease Ruff is a registered nurse and a nursing professor.? She began working in the field of bereavement ten years ago following the untimely death of her beloved 21-year-old daughter, Kandy, in a car accident in the Dominican Republic where she was serving as a missionary.? Dr. Ruff is a National Board member of The Compassionate Friends and is a frequent presenter on grief.? She has presented at the Compassionate Friends National Conferences and at the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.? She teaches a nursing course on grief and loss for nursing students at Howard University.? Coralease Ruff:? What […]

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July 27, 2006 Grief and Your Health: Taking Care of Yourself – Coralease C. Ruff, RN, Ph.D.

Posted on July 27, 2006 - by admin

July 27th, 2006 . by The Grief Blog HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Grief and Your Health: Taking Care of Yourself Host: Dr. Gloria Horsley With guest: Coralease C. Ruff, RN, Ph.D. July 27, 2006 G: Hello. I?m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley. Each week, we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and renewal for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a sibling or a grandchild and always our message is we?ve made it, you can make it, others have been there before you, and you do not […]

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July 20, 2006 Death of a Child on Active Duty in Iraq: Delain Johnson

Posted on July 20, 2006 - by admin

HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Death of a Child on Active Duty in Iraq Host: Dr. Gloria Horsley With guest: Delain Johnson July 20, 2006 G: Hello. I?m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley. Each week, we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and renewal for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a sibling or a grandchild and as always the message is others have been there before you and made it and so can you. You do not walk alone. If you?re listening to our Thursday live internet […]

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Aftermath of Suicide: Then and Now – Bob Burt

Posted on July 6, 2006 - by admin

HEALING THE GRIEVING HEART Aftermath of Suicide: Then and Now Host: Dr. Gloria Horsley With guest: Bob Burt July 6, 2006 G: Hello. I?m Dr. Gloria Horsley with my co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley. Each week, we welcome you to Healing the Grieving Heart, a show of hope and renewal for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a sibling, and our message as always is we have made it and so can you. Well, good morning, Heidi. H: Good morning, mom. G: Today I want to start with an email, letting you all know that we love […]

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