Michele lost her son to suicide 11 years ago. Samaritans has played an important role in her long grief journey. Today, Michele co-facilitates monthly in-person and virtual SafePlace meetings for parents. She and her co-facilitator, Brian, also provide Survivor to Survivor visits to parents who’ve experienced a loss.
“It’s very isolating to lose someone to suicide, especially a child,” Michele says. “People are very grateful to get tools from people that have been there.”
Michele has found community with other parents in the Samaritans network for many years and has been gratified to see individuals she’s supported move from despair into hope. In the new, parent-specific groups, Michele notices an especially powerful sense of connection.
“We just have this knowing with each other,” she says. “You know that there’s a group of people you can talk to if you can’t talk to anyone else. That’s why people keep coming back, sometimes for years.”
“Brian and I talk about how it helps us with our own grief—to be able to share how we’ve coped, and to help somebody through it,” Michele says.
I think my son would be glad to know that I’m trying to help people who’ve lost their loved ones. He was a really kind person.
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Losing a loved one to suicide is a painful and difficult experience. Samaritans is here to offer suicide loss survivors nonjudgmental listening and peer support. We provide many programs to support survivors in their grieving.
