For a long time I didn't talk much about my son Warren, not how he lived or how he died. As I met new work colleagues and friends, I barely spoke of him with the result that many people didn't even know that I had a living breathing son for 13 years and still have a son in my heart who would be 28 this year. When I realized that he was dying again as I wasn't honoring his memory and he was fading from existence,  our family started Warren's Walk, Stepping Out for Grieving Children..  We were not going to name it for Warren, but the name stuck and it is a lovely memorial for a young man who was kind and generous during his short life.

Memorializing  Warren is not the point of Warren's Walk.  Helping children and their parents through grief in a safe and supportive environment is the purpose.  I was so ignorant of the toll that death takes on children, whether it is a parent or sibling who dies.  I did not realize that 1 in 7 children will experience this type of loss before they become adults and yet they feel isolated because they think no one shares their experience. Sadly, as I learned from personal experience, parents are not always the best support as they must deal with their own grief and loss.  This is where Journey of Hope Grief Support became so valuable for us.  Our daughters were able to connect with other children who were experiencing the same issues in a safe and nurturing environment.  We learned how to navigate through our personal storms too.

Journey of Hope Grief Support provides these groups with no cost to the participants but these services are not free. Warrens Walk is one way we can continue to make sure that these support groups remain free and open to every child and their family who is grieving.  Please consider giving generously.