Are There Any Support Groups for Someone Who Lost a Loved One to Parkinson’s Disease?
I have been advocating for 6 years now, yet some days it still feels like I lost my mother yesterday. The grief never fully leaves. In many ways, I relive it over and over again through my advocacy, memories, and the stories I hear daily from families facing this disease.
Oddly enough, despite fighting 24/7 for awareness and a cure in memory of my mother, Sharon, I have never truly found a specific support group for people who lost a loved one due to Parkinson’s Disease.
So today, I wanted to ask this incredible community:
Do you know of a support group specifically for those grieving the loss of a loved one to Parkinson’s Disease?
Years ago, I attended a caregiver support group hoping to connect with others. But the group focused entirely on current caregivers helping loved ones still battling PD. I sat quietly, feeling saddened and out of place. I did not want to relive the hardest moments, and I also felt like my grief no longer fit there.
Maybe these groups exist and I simply have not found them. Maybe they do not exist at all.
I even tried to start one myself, but reaching people nationwide who have experienced this loss is not easy.
Every single day, I see heartbreaking posts in Parkinson’s groups and communities:
“My loved one passed away. Thank you everyone. Goodbye.”
And then they disappear.
Sometimes I wonder if I should step away too. But then I think about this community, those still battling today, their caregivers, and especially my mother. I never want another family to experience what we did.
The battle.
The progression.
The caregiving.
The loss.
It can all become overwhelming.
My outlet has been speaking out and fighting back against this disease. Through advocacy, relationships, and the support surrounding TogetherForSharon.com, I have somehow found the strength to continue forward. I am deeply grateful to those who have stood beside me through this journey. While there have been difficult moments and disagreements along the way, I always try to stay positive and continue moving forward toward the greater goal: awareness, support, and hope for a cure.
So if you are reading this, or if you know someone who has lost a loved one to Parkinson’s Disease, please reach out.
If there is a support group, I would love to learn more.
If there is not, maybe it is time we create one together.
Because we need support too.
I am still grieving. I probably always will be. But even through the darkness, there has also been light.
That light has been all of you.
Thank you for that.
Photo Credit: Thrive Wellness https://www.thrivehere.com/the-nurturing-nature-of-support-groups-discovering-understanding-empathy-and-community-amid-trying-circumstances
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TogetherForSharon® In memory of my mother, Sharon to voice awareness & hope for a Parkinson’s Disease cure
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