Hinds Hospice offers support groups for those coping with grief

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- In January 2020, Lynn Horton lost her son, Zachary, to an accidental drug overdose.

"It's hard for me to even explain, Zach was our only child and he was our life..." " Lynn said. "It's like you don't even know what to do. The lost it is just so significant."

Zach was 19 years old at the time and had just graduated from Clovis North High School in 2019.

Lynn remembers her son as funny, compassionate, and handsome.

The grief of losing him left her feeling lonely and isolated.

"In the beginning, everybody is in contact with you and supporting you. But then as time goes by, especially after his celebration of life, people kind of go back to their own lives and we're still dealing with this loss," she said.

That's when Lynn and her husband found the Center for Grief and Healing at Hinds Hospice in northwest Fresno.

"It really made a big difference in terms of helping us with all that," Lynn said.

The Center for Grief & Healing was created more than twenty years ago and offers different kinds of support groups for people going through loss.

They meet several times a year.

Kathy Cromwell is the Executive Director of Counseling and Support Services at Hinds Hospice.
"We have a number of support groups that allow grievers to come together and to help them feel not so alone. To be able to sit with someone who has had a similar experience," Cromwell said.

She explains that the loneliness can stem from uncertainty and not knowing what to say.

"Feeling that others can't understand this loss. People not asking about their loved one or not saying their name," Cromwell said.

Cromwell sees how the support groups are helping people with their loss.

While the pain of her son's passing doesn't go away, Lynn has learned to work through her grief and helps others who might be going through the same thing.

"I do feel like I met people who are early on in their grief and they can kind of see where I'm at," Lynn said.

While the grief feels dark and lonely, Cromwell says there are people who are ready to walk alongside you.

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