The Garden: Testimonials

Read local families’ stories of their experience at The Garden, A Center for Grieving Children and Teens. The Garden is a program of Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice and supports bereaved young people ages 5-18 years.

Not Alone
Brothers Owen (16) and Morgan (14) and their mother, Shannon attended The Garden in the fall of 2017 following the untimely death of their beloved dad, Jon. Jon died of stage lV pancreatic cancer at the age of 43. He died the day before Owen’s 13th birthday, in February 2016. Following, the brothers participated in The Garden’s school outreach program at their respective schools in Hatfield. At the time, Morgan was in the 5th grade at Hatfield Elementary School and Owen was in the 7th grade at Smith Academy.
Read The Whidden's Story
Learning to Process
Our son, Seth, was just five years old when his one-year-old sister, Callie, died very suddenly from an undetermined virus. Understandably, he was deeply affected by her loss. His Dad and I were struggling in our own grief and trying our best to help Seth with his. He had a lot of questions about what had happened and where she was now. These questions were hard for his Dad and I to answer because some were painful to talk about and some we just didn’t have the answer to.
Read the Durants' Story
Full Circle: From Participant to Facilitator
My daughter Corinne came to The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens in late 2006, a few months after the sudden death of her Dad, my husband David. When she learned I was hoping to join a Bereavement Support Group, she responded with, “Can I go to a group, too?”
Read Carolyn & Corrine's Story

Opening Up: A Six-year-old's Journey
By Jenny Waterman

When my husband suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at only 38 years old not only was I lost but I had no idea how I could help our 6-year-old daughter, Lilli-Anna, understand and cope with the loss of her daddy. I was so afraid that Lilli-Anna would struggle for the rest of her life to try and understand why this happened and go through school being “different”. I couldn’t bear the thought.
Read Jenny and Lilli-Anna's Story
An Instant Connection
By Megan Biela

I came to The Garden by myself when I was 19, a couple of months after my older sister passed away. I wanted a safe environment to explore my grief. I wanted to talk to people who knew what I was going through. I wanted to feel better. I remember doing art projects that helped us explore our feelings about the loss.
Read Megan's Story
My Time in The Garden
By Danielle Jez

I came to The Garden because my dad died in a car accident when I was 11 years old. One of my aunt's friends suggested that we try it. (She later became one of my professors who helped me with my senior psychology seminar project on programs for grieving children, inspired by The Garden).
Read Danielle's Story

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The Garden: Testimonials

The Garden is a program of Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice and supports bereaved young people ages 5-18 years.

The Garden: Testimonials

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