How Healing Transforms a Community
When Mollie Rabiner's parents became seriously ill, she found herself facing one of life's most difficult seasons.
"Both my parents got really sick at the same time," she recalls. "You swiftly realize that you can't handle it all by yourself."
That's when Mollie turned to Bluegrass Care Navigators.
"Making that initial phone call is the hardest part," Mollie says. "But once you do it, it's like you can immediately breathe, and support starts immediately."
While hospice care provided support for her parents, Mollie discovered that care extended beyond her mom and dad. As she navigated her parents’ illnesses, the team reassured her every step of the way, providing guidance, resources and a listening ear. After her dad passed and while still caring for her mom, she reached out to Bluegrass Care Navigators' grief counseling program.
The experience and tools she gained helped her process her loss and the complex emotions of losing her mom shortly after her dad.
"I don't think I would have popped out on the other side the way that I have if I hadn't had access to the grief services,” she says. “They are top-notch and a wonderful resource for the community.”
Inspired by her own healing journey, Mollie began exploring ways to help others who are grieving. That search led her to the concept of a wind phone, a simple but powerful grief tool that originated in Japan. Mollie’s sculpture Bird Calls at Josephine Sculpture Park in Frankfort, Ky., features a hand-carved, disconnected phone where visitors are invited to have a conversation with a loved one who has passed, share thoughts left unsaid, or simply reflect.
"There is no wrong way to use it," she says. "It's there for everybody."
Today, visitors from across Kentucky stop at the installation to connect with memories and find moments of peace. Mollie hopes that all who use the phone can encounter the beauty of humanity and find comfort and healing in their brokenness.
Because of generous supporters like you, individuals like Mollie receive hospice care, grief support, and the compassionate guidance they need during life's most difficult moments. In her own journey of healing, Mollie found a way to transform loss into hope, creating a space where others can process their grief, find connection, and begin to heal. That's the lasting power of generosity and compassion. Learn more about our services or join our Caring Community at bgcarenav.org.
