Each of the teenagers gathered in a small room was struggling through a personal landscape of loss and grief. There was anger. Tears. Laughter. Argument. Healing. By coming together to share their stories at Highmark Caring Place Downtown, the teens formed a special community that helped them make sense of their pain.
Twin sisters Sam and Jen Hurrell lost their 18-year-old brother Nathan in a gun accident. Discussing the pain of the loss is essential, Jen says. “It’s better to talk about it or write about it or let it out somehow” she says. “Because holding it inside is not good at all.”
Keith Pennington’s father Howard died suddenly of an aneurism. For Keith, memories help keep Howard close. “I still talk to my dad,” Keith says. “I lost him physically but not mentally or spiritually.”
David Smith’s mother Shelly died after a very brief battle with cancer. David misses her love and care, but expresses hope for the future. “If you keep the spirit of the loved one who passed away alive …” he says, “you’ll be able to survive. Life will get better.”
Troy Beglinger has taken on many of the duties once assumed by his father Conrad, who died after a long battle with cancer. “I watched my dad for years be the man of the house,” Troy says. “I just felt obligated. Someone’s got to step up to the plate.”
Highmark Caring Place: A Place to Share Stories of Loss and Hope
Highmark Caring Place provides an opportunity for famlies and kids who have lost a loved one to share their experiences, says director Terese Vorshek. (Video by Steve Mellon)
Kariann Neill helped care for her father, Daniel, who struggled with illness for several years, but she wasn’t there when Daniel died. Now she wrestles with guilt. “Everybody tells me it’s not your fault, there’s nothing you could have done to help him,” she says. “But I felt like I should have been there, and I wasn’t.”
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