I have a soft spot in my heart for children which is why I have enjoyed being a Dad, a Papa and a Foster Dad so much. When we almost lost our son, I realized that nothing in life hurts as deeply as losing a child. All those times that I had met with parents to make funeral arrangements and thought that I knew a little bit of what they were going through were quickly dispelled. Although Darrell is well today, that one moment in time has left a footprint that can never be erased. It was then that I made a vow to myself that I would learn more about how I can help grieving families who do experience the loss of a child.
I have the opportunity to take a two day course at the end of March through the Perinatal Bereavement Society of Ontario. PBSO is a non-profit charity that provides bereavement support to families who have experienced a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, medical termination, stillbirth or neonatal death and undertakes educational programs for professionals and the public.
At the Blenheim Community Funeral Home we’ve tried to be proactive when it comes to children. We waive our charges when a child dies. When we built the Funeral Home we included a Kid’s Room so that children can be comfortable while they are a part of a life changing event that surrounds them. But even those two things are not enough. Regardless of anything that we make Funeral Homes to be, unless we can give the help that truly comes from our hearts then we’ve defeated our purpose. I want to be the best that I can be and to do that I will continue to learn.
So it’s off to Toronto I will go and of course I will have Makaila by my side. We didn’t get to do anything on Family Day because of the weather so we will take this opportunity to create another memory in our Father/Daughter book of life.
