For Immediate Release
Contact: Lindsay Corcoran 508-368-7252 or 774-670-8811
SHREWSBURY – With a goal to support all families experiencing the loss of a loved one to an overdose, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr. hosted an event last Wednesday focused on grief and how to find support.
The event featured a panel discussion with Deb Dowd-Foley, a longtime peer grief support group facilitator, Cheryl A. Juaire, founder and president of Team Sharing, Inc. a parent-support non-profit, and Dennis Bates, CEO of Washburn House.
“Each life lost to overdose creates a void of grief felt by the family, friends, and loved ones left behind,” said Mr. Early. “We want all those experiencing this grief to know they are not alone, and we want to help them find the support they need through the grieving process.”
The panelists discussed their own personal stories of loss and grief, as well as talked through the options for people to find support locally.
Before forming Team Sharing, Juaire talked about grieving the loss of her first son, Corey at the age of 23, to overdose alone for three years before later meeting with a small group of six mothers who had also lost children to addiction.
“I finally realized I am normal. I finally realized I am going to be okay. It was lifechanging,” Juaire said. She also said the group rallied for her when she lost her second son, Sean, to overdose 10 years later. “This community is how I survived the loss.”
Dowd-Foley agreed that participating in support groups was what helped her work through her grief after losing her 27-year-old son Brian to an overdose.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of finding the support of people who understand what you are going through,” Dowd-Foley said. “There was guilt and shame that added to the grief…All the whys. Why didn’t I hear him come in? Why didn’t I save him?”
She said that finding support, whether it be a grief counselor, Facebook groups, or peer support groups, was a huge help in grief. She also advocated for people to practice self-care, including journaling and meditation, and said doing what’s right for you is important through the grief process.
“The courage of these parents who come here and say this is what’s really going on, I commend them. That is how we’re going to end the stigma,” said Bates. “The beauty of what we have here is community. The people here who’ve been hurt the most are also the ones who can help the most.”
Grief support services referenced at the meeting included: Support After a Death by Overdose (SADO.D.), which can be found at sadod.org; The Sun Will Rise Foundation, which can be found at thesunwillrise.org; and Team Sharing, Inc., which can be found at teamsharinginc.org.
Mr. Early has been passionately committed to addressing the polysubstance use crisis, as well as trauma and mental health. In 2015, he formed the Central Mass. Opioid Task Force, which he renamed last year the Prevention and Support Network. There are more than 700 members in the network.
