After the accident, Crystal and her children turned to Bluegrass Care Navigators Grief Services, searching for help navigating life after loss. When they first came to counseling, Crystal’s oldest daughter, who was eight at the time, was angry and confused. The two needed help learning how to cope and communicate their feelings together. Through individual and family grief counseling, they found a safe place to share emotions, learn coping strategies, and begin healing together.

Counselors met with Crystal and her daughter separately, then brought them together to talk through what surfaced, helping them learn to support one another. Creative outlets like journaling, drawing, art, and music became essential tools.

Crystal and her daughter attended Camp Hope, a free, one-day bereavement camp for children and their caregivers who have experienced a recent loss.

“Bluegrass Care Navigators helped our family find hope again,” Crystal said. “Not a return to normal, but to find the ability to smile, remember, and keep moving forward together.”

Bluegrass Grief Care is available free of charge to anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one, and offers various programs, including Camp Hope, support groups, holiday workshops, and individual grief counseling. The grief care program is only possible due to the kindness and generosity of grant funding, community partners, and donor support.