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Support group for bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents will begin

SARANAC LAKE — Losing a child is something nobody plans on, regardless of who they are. The reality is it happens to some. Those who have experienced such a loss sometimes feel alone in what they are going through and that it is a very different kind of loss.

The Jerdo family will begin the Adirondack Chapter of Bereaved Parents of the USA next month in Saranac Lake. Bereaved Parents of the USA is a national nonprofit self-help group that offers support, understanding, compassion and hope to bereaved parents, siblings or grandparents struggling to rebuild their lives after the death of their loved one. There are no dues or fees to become a member of BPUSA, and there are no paid salaries within the organization. All work on both the national and chapter level is done by volunteers with a strong desire to help other families survive the death of their loved one just as they were helped when they were newly bereaved.

According to Deb Jerdo, who has experienced the loss of two children, “You never ‘get over’ the loss, but you ‘get through’ it. The pain is softer and just different. You learn that you can remember them with even a smile, which in those first years can be hard. Life definitely changes and you wonder why things keep moving on like nothing happened after the loss.

“The loss of a child is not about the age of the child or the age of the one who has had the loss. A ‘child’ can be a baby who has not had a breath to a 65-year old adult whose 85-year-old mother is still alive and grieving her loss. All are different and yet united by the bond of the loss of a child. We feel a connection that words don’t even need to be spoken. Our hearts understand.”

The group will begin Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cantwell Room (bottom floor, driveway entrance) of the Saranac Lake Free Library, 109 Main St. Monthly meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of the month. All bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings are welcome.

“We are not professionals. This is a self-help group, not a counseling session,” Deb said in a press release. “We will come together as the Adirondack Chapter of Bereaved Parents of the USA to provide a safe space where grieving families can connect, share stories, and learn to rebuild our lives, to find comfort, compassion and especially hope.”

For more information, call Deb at 518-637-3004.

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