Bereaved Parents of USA

[Gayle Brady]

I am very excited to announce the first meeting of our newly formed chapter, Rockingham/Essex County BP/USA will be Tuesday December 1, at Atkinson Community Center, Main St. Atkinson, NH from 7-8:30pm.

Meetings will be the first Tuesday of every month at the Community Center, 7-8:30. A press release will be in the area newspapers shortly. We are the first chapter of Bereaved Parents/USA to be formed in NH. We have included Essex County so families in Bradford/Haverhill will also feel welcome to attend. Bereaved Parents of the USA (BP/USA), is a national, self-help, support group for parents, grandparents and siblings who have had a child, grandchild or sibling die at any age from any cause.
I look forward to seeing some of you there. If you know someone who is suffering from a loss please let them know about the group. We don't have to suffer alone there is comfort in sharing with others who are traveling this journey.

[Gayle Brady]

For the Bereaved
Most bereaved parents experience one or more of the following
· Feel physically exhausted, have difficulty sleeping-can’t sleep or can’t stop sleeping and don’t want to get up.
· Feel a tightness in the throat, heaviness in the chest, or a lump in the stomach like a rock.
· Have an empty feeling with appetite loss-or eat too much.
· Wander aimlessly, forget a thought in the middle of a sentence, neglect to finish tasks, feel restless, look for activity, but can’t concentrate.
· Have respiratory reactions- excessive yawning, gasping, hyperventilating.
· Experience feelings of anxiety.
· Think they are going crazy or losing their mind-feel depressed, really sad.
· Say to oneself,“If only I had..”
· Keep asking,“Why?”
· Feel they don’t want to go on-“What’s the point?”
· Feel the loss isn’t real, that the child will return.
· Look for the child in a crowd or see reminders unexpectedly
· Need to tell and retell and remember things about the child and the experience of death
· Can’t stop crying or can’t cry-cry at unexpected times.
All of these reactions are natural and normal.
It is important not to deny one’s feelings, but to learn to express them. Realizing that you are not alone in having these reactions is helpful. One’s balance is regained slowly through understanding and working through the grief process.
It has been said that the bereaved underestimate their ability to survive. However the many surviving, functioning, bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles are proof that the self-help process in a group such as BP/USA can help and does work.
Bereaved Parents of the USA
Rockingham/Essex County Chapter
Offering Support, Care and Compassion for Bereaved Parents, Siblings, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Grieving the Death of a Child
Who We Are
We are not professional counselors. We are simply parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and siblings who are grieving the death of a child.
The Rockingham/Essex County Chapter of The Bereaved Parent of the USA is a self-help support organization. We are dedicated to assisting families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child and to providing information and education to help others be supportive.
Our children have died at all ages including miscarriage, stillbirth, toddlers, adolescents, teens, and adult children in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.
Our children have died in different circumstances. Some died a sudden death through an accident or fast moving illness. Some of our children died through suicide. Others died after years of illness. Some of our children died from drug abuse. Some of our children were murdered. Some of our children had special needs. These are all differences- but we are united by our common bond of grieving the death of our child. There is no good way for our child to die.
We gather to listen, to care, and to understand the process of grieving as we begin our journey to survive and thrive again. Our greatest strength as bereaved families is the unity we find in shared experiences, that leads us out of isolation, gives us a place to “belong” and gives us hope that, together, we can make it.

Meeting and Contact Information
We meet the first Tuesday of each month at
Atkinson Community Center
4 Main St.
Atkinson, NH
Meeting Starts at 7:00 p.m.
For More Information
email:
[e-mail]

[Gayle Brady]

What We Do
Meetings
We meet the first Tuesday of each month.
Generally a speaker or panel discusses a topic of
interest to newly bereaved parents. After the
program, the parents join sharing groups which
offer support and ideas to those who are just
beginning their lonely journey.
Newsletter
We publish and email a monthly newsletter with
information on our activities and articles and
writings dealing with the death of ac child. The
newsletter can also be found on the national
website.
Annual Conference
The national organization hosts a conference
dealing with topics of interest to families and
friends grieving the death of a child.
Annual Memory Walk
We partner with another organization for a
Memory Walk to remember all of the children
who died too soon but still walk in the hears of
our families and friends.
Community Outreach
Our chapter provides speakers and materials to help others dealing with grieving parents.

[Gayle Brady]

The first support group meeting for bereaved parents is coming up. If you know someone who has lost a child, no matter what the reason was, please tell them about this support group. The holidays are fast approaching and this is a tough time of the year for a parent who has lost a child. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec 1 a the Atkinson Community Center on Rte 121. Across from the Post Office. Time is 7-8:30pm.