Why I Wanted to Help The JD Foundation
So everyone has a story to tell and a path they are one. I was contacted by a friend who recently lost her son to suicide asking if I could possibly use my skill as a web designer to help The JD Foundation. My first reaction was of course, my second reaction was immense sadness. I am a widow of five years, I lost my husband at the age of 47 from a massive heart attack and the grief from his death was overwhelming. There were many days of fog, and just going through the motions of life but time and good friends got me through the worst time of my life. I was lucky because I had people around me to push me to wake up and be the best parent I could for my child who was only seven at the time.
So life moved on, I created a new life but still experienced waves of grief at the strangest moments. A smell, a sound, a song, would all trigger memories that would set me back again into sadness, but as time moved forward so did the acceptance and healing.
I wanted to write this blog post for two reasons. The first is that I as a parent immediately sought out therapy for my daughter because I didn't know what to do. You don't get a book on how to deal with death, or on grief or on explaining that to a child that her father wasn't coming home. Once I found a good therapist for my daughter I was able to learn from the doctor the signs of depression every parent should recognize in their child. This was a lifesaver for me because my little girl could not process what had happened and it took over five years of therapy to get her to a place where she is now healing and healthy. When I found out that this organization is about education and prevention I was 100 percent in. Education helped me be a better parent, and prevented something horrible from happening to my child.
The second reason I wanted to get involved with The JD Foundation is because of its founder Cheryl Morin. She is a warrior. A mother and a dedicated human being who does not want anyone especially a parent from having to bury their child. I have huge respect for Cheryl and as we coordinate on the website and learn more about her and her son, I feel that in my own way, I can honor my husband Rob who did suffer from depression. And ultimately it resulted in his heart attack.
So I hope you like the site, and I hope you tell those you love they matter. That might make the difference between life and death.