The death of a loved one can create incredible grief, especially when it affects children and teens. When this happens parents can feel at a loss for how to comfort them. Thanks to Ele's Place West Michigan, there's hope and support for the youngest members of the community experiencing loss.
Jamie from Ele's Place, along with Keri and Will Ellis, shared their story about how Ele's provided hope and support three years ago after the loss of their infant daughter, Arabella.
While the couple suffered from profound grief following the death of their two-day-old daughter, the Ellis’ also had to navigate the grief journey of their then 3-year-old daughter, Mayla, who had been preparing for a sister.
Mayla was placed in a grief program specifically for very young children. Ele's place helped her understand how to work through her feelings of grief, as well as know it was okay to feel them.
While Mayla was going through here program, Ele's Place also helped the Ellis' find their own bereavement support group for parents who have lost a child.
The Ellis family was able to find their hope through grief thanks to these programs, and now they want to help other families do the same.
On May 29, Ele's Place is hosting its annual Healing Hearts Breakfast, where people like the Ellis family will share their stories on how they found their hope again. The breakfast will raise money for their organization so they can continue to provide free support and programming to families across West Michigan.
The breakfast will take place at Frederik Meijer Gardens starting at 7:30 a.m.
For more information, visit elesplace.org.
