- One Charlotte resident is starting a grief support group.
- Her mission is to bring those closer together who need it.
- Watch the video above to learn about the support group
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm here in Charlotte, right outside of the Valhalla Value Store. Where the owner tells me she is starting a support group for any parent who is dealing with grief over the loss of a child. Her mission is to bring those closer together who need it.
"Losing a child is like no other death," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
Charlotte resident Brandy Haeck lost her son Seth on January 22nd, 2017, to a fentanyl overdose. He was just 21 years old.
"Lots of people just don't understand that or the feelings I'm going through," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
One of too many heartbreaking stories across Michigan; according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, overdose deaths are down year to year, but the lasting impact of losing a family member is devastating.
"Friends in the community that I have, that I know have been through what I have been through," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
Which is why Haeck is finding a way to help those impacted by the loss of a child by starting a support group called "Hope After Loss" to help those cope with losing a loved one.
"The goal, I think, off the first couple, might be to branch out to like-minded losses and network with people in our community," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
Haeck says the group will allow our neighbors navigating the loss of a loved one to find coping mechanisms and a community that supports them,
"Grief can be ugly and very private, and unless someone has been what you have been through or feels the pain you feel, they don't get it," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
2025 will mark eight years since she lost her son, Seth. Haeck says organizing this group is the next step in her healing process.
"I really just want people to know we are not alone," Charlotte Resident Brandy Haeck said.
The first meeting of the 'Hope After Loss" will be in December. If you would like more information, please call Valhalla Value Store in Charlotte 517-588-8664.
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