BY REP. TODD CARVER

The best part of my week happened in Mooresville — not in Raleigh — last week. I want to use this space to share information about something that I believe could impact many people. I get invited to numerous events as a member of the N.C. General Assembly. I do my best to attend a wide range of events to help expose myself to new perspectives. I was invited to attend a session this week with Gov. Josh Stein, but the event that made the most impact on me was right here in my hometown. The event was the fundraising kick-off for the Brown Family Bereavement Center.

I, like most everyone reading this article, have dealt with grief and never felt like I needed a center to help me deal with that part of life’s events. What a difference two hours made in helping me to understand the role a grief center can have in helping people, especially children, to heal.

First, let me say this project is part of the mission of the great people of Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County. Hospice has been there for me and my family twice. There is a special place in heaven for the people who do this type of work. Hospice permitted my family members to pass with dignity and in the most comfortable, compassionate of possible settings. They are the first responders for families with a dying loved one. I hope you never need their services, but know they will be there if you need them.

Rainbow Kidz, the child grief counseling and support program under the umbrella of Hospice, is playing a critical role in the Brown Family Bereavement Center. I had heard of Rainbow Kidz, but I did not truly understand the work they do. This program provides a support system for children who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. These children receive long-term support in the form of counseling, group therapy and summer camps.

One in 10 children in North Carolina will experience the loss of a parent or sibling before age 18, according to the childhood bereavement estimation model. Many more children will experience the loss of a classmate, friend or non-immediate family member. The Brown Family Bereavement Center will be a place for children to go and receive age-appropriate counseling services here in Iredell County. The center would be the only one of its kind in our area.

At the event on Friday night, we heard from a family who had experienced the loss of a father to cancer. I am not an emotional person by nature, to which my wife would certainly attest. The mother’s story of how Hospice and Rainbow Kidz had impacted her life changed the way I feel about grief. Obviously, everyone deals with things in their own manner and timing, but her story helped me to understand what it must be like to see death coming from a distance while raising two young children. She helped me to see the need for a bereavement center and the valuable role it could play in helping those in our community begin healing after the death of a loved one.

If you or someone you know are interested in helping make this vision a reality, please reach out to Mindy Rice, Director of Development at Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, at mindyr@hoic.org or call 704-924-4323.

Rep. Todd Carver represents the 95th District in the N.C. House. Email him at todd.carver@ncleg.gov.