Mary’s Place, Where Grieving Children Find Support

By: Karen Ploch, Teen participant and Volunteer

My mom had heard of Mary’s Place through my pediatrician’s office. I finally decided to come to Mary’s Place about three years ago. It was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions of my life. The people in the teen group were really supportive. After the first session, I felt comfortable, knowing that other teens were going through the same problems.

Mary’s Place is a place where grieving children are free to be themselves. At school, most of us feel uncomfortable talking to other people our age about our losses. Our peers simply don’t understand what we are going through, which can make situations awkward when the topic comes up. At Mary’s Place there is a mutual understanding between children, which allows us to be ourselves, without feeling the need to hide the loss that occurred.

Mary’s Place has helped me so much along the way that I wanted to give something back to them. So, I have recently begun to volunteer at the three to seven years-old group on Sunday afternoons. After a few sessions with the younger children, I realized how similar their feelings and reactions were to those of the teens’ in my support group. Some of them also face difficulties at school because they don’t want to be seen as different from their peers. However, when they come to Mary’s Place, they almost always have a smile on their face because they know they are in a place where they can play freely with other children, who can relate to the grief they are feeling. Seeing their happy faces always makes me smile, because I know I am creating a safe and comfortable environment for them to be themselves. For all of the people that make Mary’s Place possible, I would, personally, like to thank you. Your efforts have helped so many children, of all ages, through the grieving process.