Welcome to the April issue of our Helping Parents Heal Newsletter!  

We are glad you have found us.  This newsletter is a space that allows us to share our amazing children. We are all in this together.  We understand and we walk the same path. Thank you for your compassion and for the constant support you provide.  Together, we will help each other heal!  

This month's newsletter contains many wonderful validation stories about communication with our children, testimonials from parents who have been helped by our group meetings and affiliate group information.  It also includes two amazing articles written by Bill Guggenheim, co-author of Hello from Heaven, and by Dr. Mark Pitstick, author of Soul Proof and creator of the documentary film of the same name.  Both articles echo the ideals of Helping Parents Heal.  Both authors are supporters of our group.  I hope that you enjoy reading them and that they are of help and healing to you.  

-Elizabeth Boisson, Co-Founder and President of Helping Parents Heal, Newsletter Editor and Affiliate Leader for Scottsdale/Phoenix.

A Visit to Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale
Validations from our children come in many different ways.  I had the good fortune to visit Butterfly Wonderland here in Scottsdale with Sheri Perl Migdol and Anne Puryear while Sheri was visiting from New York.  This desert oasis opened in early 2013 and features the largest butterfly pavilion in North America.  While touring the area where thousands of the beautiful winged creatures float freely through the air, we were amazed to have many of them alight on us.  In fact, we had each asked our sons to send us a validation and to grace us with a butterfly that might land on our shoulder or finger.  However, we were overwhelmed by the affirmation of our sons' responses.   Each of us had over 6 or 7 of them that came to land-from the top of our heads to the cuff of our pants!  It seemed that when we asked a question or mentioned our child's name, the butterflies immediately landed to confirm what was said.  We felt surrounded by the presence of our children while there.  A text that we received from our good friend Psychic Medium Susanne Wilson, who wasn't able to make it that day, was the icing on the cake.   She said: The kids are hanging out with all of you! The awe-inspiring attention from the butterflies validated her words.  We spent a healing, uplifting morning.  

-Elizabeth Boisson

Why not visit Butterfly Wonderland and ask for a validation from your own son or daughter?  It is located in Scottsdale at 9500 E Via de Ventura in Scottsdale.  Please learn more by visiting the website.
Our February Scottsdale meeting with Yogi Thaddeus Ferguson (back center) with some of the parents who attended.  

We had a wonderful February Scottsdale meeting with Yogi Thaddeus Ferguson, who taught us Yoga moves to heal grief.  This is the second time he has visited us-he also hosted our November meeting. Thank you, Thaddeus, for reminding us to breathe deep! 

March 26th Scottsdale Meeting-Unity of Phoenix 
Our upcoming March 26th Scottsdale Meeting with Anne Puryear and Laurie Savoie, authors of Stephen Lives! and The Ripple Effect

Please join us for the March meeting of Helping Parents Heal, Scottsdale.  Reverend Anne Puryear and Laurie Savoie will be our guest hosts.  Anne is a Founding Member of Helping Parents Heal.  Their books are both about the death of their sons by suicide and about how to heal after the passing of a child. You can RSVP on the 'events' tab on Facebook here. Our meetings are from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

April 23rd Scottsdale Meeting- Unity of Phoenix
Dr. Lisa Strohman 

We are happy to announce that Dr. Lisa Strohman will be our guest for our April meeting. She is a psychologist with LifeScape Medical Associates who specializes in grief therapy.  Lisa has spoken to our group in the past and parents loved her gentle, compassionate manner.  Please visit LifeScape's website here.  If you would like to join us, please RSVP for this meeting here.  Our meetings are from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

How Helping Parents Heal Has Helped
Testimonials from Parents
Nita and her Son Kyle
April 10, 2010 we woke up to find the police out front of our home. They were there to tell us that we no longer had two children. Our beloved son Kyle had been taken from us. A car accident, he was only minutes from home. Kyle had been in Iraq for 15 months, he came home safe and sound, only to be taken from us anyway. I never really thought much about Heaven, I always believed, but did not really think about it, until now. I needed to know where my son was, what he was doing, who was he with? I searched the Internet, and found a local Medium, Jamie Clark. On Jamie's web site, I saw a local Dad who had lost his son and wrote a book called Soul Shift. I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the book, devouring it! I was three or four chapters into it, and for the first time since losing Kyle, felt hope, that I was going to survive losing my son. I emailed the author, Mark Ireland to tell him how his book was helping me. To my surprise Mark called me the next day. He was warm and friendly and pleased to here that I was getting help from his book. He asked me if he could give my number to a woman that had started a support group for grieving parents. Of course I said YES! And when I received that call, my life was forever changed once again, I felt rescued, I knew I had found a safe place to continue through this forever journey of grief. The person who called me was Elizabeth Boisson. Without this group, and the wonderful parents that I have met, I would not be where I am today. They have shown me that you can survive the loss of your child, that your child wants you to and that they are with us in everything we do. I will forever miss my Kyle, but I have learned to move forward thanks to so many wonderful parents who walk in my shoes. Thank you Mark and Elizabeth for showing me the light!

-Nita Erickson, Scottsdale Arizona Chapter
Madeleine and Charlene
On March 28th 2013, we lost our beautiful daughter, Madeleine Julia Havelock. She had just turned 21 a week before. Maddie was driving home from university for Easter break. She and her friend died in a car accident that night.

I lost my only daughter; my best friend. Maddie was the middle child between two brothers.  Her love of life was very evident. She was in her third year of university. A biology and environmental science double major. She was so full of life and excited by it. We always knew when Maddie came home from school. The whole house became alive. She was the glue that held our family together.

After slipping into a deep depression I looked everywhere for help. Doctors, psychologist, grief councilors. Nothing helped. I had a friend who knew someone who had lost a child so I got her phone number. My husband and I met with Marlene and her husband and talked. They belonged to another grief group here in Ottawa. They invited us to one of the meetings. We went. It was very depressing. Something was missing. Why wasn't anyone talking about the afterlife? I left there feeling worse than when I had come, if that was possible.

I continued meeting with Marlene and we talked about the afterlife and about the fact that our children were with us still but in a different way. We talked about mediums and signs that we get from our children.

A couple of months had passed and I had an opportunity to go see Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, live in Ottawa.  We were in a theater with over 2000 people. Theresa immediately mentioned that she had a son and a daughter coming through. She came to the couple in front of me. They had a beautiful reading and many validations and then she turned to me and asked if I had a daughter who had passed. I had one of the most beautiful readings and many validation as well!

In November of that year I was invited to the first meeting of Helping Parents Heal by Marlene. As I walked into the meeting, the other couple who had had the reading with Theresa Caputo was there as well. Definitely not a coincidence.

At the meeting, I met Lynda and Patti for the first time. They were facilitating the meeting. They were so loving and supportive. They understood how devastating my loss was. Our group meets the first Sunday every month and I try not to miss any meetings. We discuss how we get signs from our children and examples of how they are not gone. Some of us see signs in license plates, others in dreams and in orbs. I see Tinkerbell signs.  Maddie's favorite, on license plates in car windows all at the perfect moment when I needed it the most. All validation that our children are still around us in spirit. 

Lynda and Patti are an inspiration to me. They give me hope. I can see how they manage life and that they are well into their grief journey. They always provide loving stories of their new lives without their children physically and how they are still in their lives in spirit. They also have become great friends who are always around when I need them. 

Helping Parents Heal has been a life changer  for me. I was given hope after a terrible tragedy. I don't think I would be where I am today without Lynda and Patti and my friends at Helping Parents Heal.

-Charlene Havelock, Ottawa Canada Chapter
 
When I first came to Helping Parents Heal, I was a puddle in the middle of the floor. My heart was in pieces, I could not take a full breath, for I had lost my baby (42 yr old), and I didn't know what to do with that. The experiences I have had in only two months have helped me see that there is a better way to deal with the pain and it is okay to mourn and grieve and give myself that gift. The people I have been blessed to know through this have been a precious gift, a breath of fresh air, and I can breathe again. Thank you so much for helping me through the hardest time I have ever had to go through. We don't have to do this alone.

-Brenda Palmer, Boise Idaho Chapter

Inspirational Messages from Parents like Us-

Bill Guggenheim-'Who do you think you are?'
Bill and Charley, Hello From Heaven!

Visiting Butterfly Wonderland made me think of the wonderful work by Bill Guggenheim about validations of After-Death communication, 'Hello from Heaven!' 

I met Bill at the International Conference on After Death Communications here in Scottsdale, AZ in April, 2012.  He immediately became a strong supporter of Helping Parents Heal.  When Bill sent me this article for the newsletter, he wrote me an email with the following:  

Who do you think you are?
 
When you were born, you entered this world with partial amnesia – these reminders will make your life happier, easier, and more fulfilling.
 
1. You are an eternal soul (a Being of Light), who lives primarily in the spirit world.  You chose your current lifetime in physical reality aboard Spaceship Earth – as a student enrolled in “The Human Experience” – to achieve spiritual growth in a universe of duality.
 
2. You carefully selected your gender, race, color, nationality, culture, religion, talent, education, occupation, economic and social status, health, and other personal characteristics.  All your choices will provide lessons you will learn – and lessons you will teach others.
 
3. You picked out your physical body – the “Earth suit” you’re wearing – to function in this space-time dimension.  One day it will stop working (it will die), and you will continue to exist.
 
4. You mutually agreed to your primary relationships: grandparents and parents; siblings, marital partners, biological and adopted children, and pets (if any); friends and enemies; and many more.  Be aware that every person and every experience is your teacher.
 
5. You chose Earth to experience human emotions, to live out your fantasies, and to grow from them.  You’re also here to learn how to love (accept) every person unconditionally.  To master these spiritual lessons, treat everyone with loving kindness, including yourself.
 
6. To assure abundance:  be humble – serve others lovingly – express gratitude often – be understanding, compassionate, and forgiving – acquire serenity, courage, and wisdom – nurture others and yourself – laugh freely – always do your best – and celebrate life joyfully.
 
7. Learn to tune into, trust, and act upon your intuition.  It offers clarity, insight, and practical guidance for all situations, and it will empower you to make your best decisions.
 
8. If you can’t recall your purpose (form of service, passion) in life, pray and it will be revealed.  Of course you have free will and can choose any lifestyle you’re able to create.
 
9. To increase your awareness, meditate daily and listen to the “still small voice within.”  This will broaden your spirituality and deepen your relationship with the Source.
 
10. You will receive everything you need for your spiritual growth – but not necessarily what you want.  Your Soul Plan and consciousness determine the experiences, people, and things you will attract.  Do not judge others – you don’t know what they came here to learn.
 
11. Like the leaves on a huge tree, all people are connected to each other and are part of the Source.  Do everything you can to relieve suffering.  Inspire healing, harmony, and unity.
 
12. When your physical body dies (when you graduate), you will bring with you all the love and kindness you have shared, your memories, and the lessons you have learned.
 
13. After your transition, you will have a life review.  You will relive every thought, feeling, word, and action of your entire lifetime – and experience how they affected everyone else.
 
14. Remember:  You are a Being of Light (an immortal spirit).  You enrolled in “The Human Experience” to learn kindness, compassion, love, forgiveness, gratitude, peace, wisdom, etc.  Eventually your physical body will die, and you will return to heaven.  There you will have joyous reunions with all your deceased loved ones, who will be looking forward to your arrival.
                               
15. Love one another.  Serve one another.  Honor the Source.  Life and love are eternal.
 
© 2015 by Bill Guggenheim, coauthor of Hello From Heaven!      
BillG934@hotmail.com

Sheri’s Corner-

Wisdom and Quotes from The East Coast

The Healing Power of Animals
Morgan with his sisters and cousins, Captain at 5 years old.

A Tiny Dog with an Enormous Heart

On August 31^st, 2009, my son Morgan went to study in Nanjing, China for the second time.  I took him to the airport for his early morning flight and made sure that he would have a seat with extra legroom for the long trip.  Morgan was 6’6” and always had trouble fitting into small spaces.  As I hugged my beautiful son for the last time before he walked down the hall to airport security I didn’t want to let him go.  He told me “Don’t worry Mom-I’ll be back!” and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. 
 
Two months later, on October 18^th, 2009, Morgan left with 13 other students to visit Tibet.  That same day, I saw a advertisement for Teacup Yorkie puppies.  We already had four dogs-two big ones and two small ones.  They were wonderful companions and plenty to handle.  For some reason, I felt an urgent need to have a puppy and I wanted it that day.  My husband needed no convincing.  We called the number and set up a meeting with the owner.  Later that evening, we met with her and immediately fell in love with one of the tiniest puppies.  We took him home and couldn’t stop smiling.  Our four older dogs were exhausted by his energy but they gently tolerated him jumping around in front of their noses as they lay on the carpet.  We couldn’t reach a consensus on a name and decided that we would give it some time to figure out. 
 
Two days later, on October 20^th, 2009, we received the devastating call that Morgan was dying from altitude sickness at the Base Camp of Mount Everest.  That same evening, we settled on a name for our tiny puppy.  We would call him ‘Captain’, in honor of Morgan.  It was his nickname in high school. 
 
After scrambling to buy a plane ticket, my husband left for Tibet the next morning to bring Morgan home.  As you all know, the nights and mornings are probably the most difficult when we lose a child.  As we sleep, we dream that we are with them and that everything is still the same.  When we awake, the realization hits us that our children have passed.  While my husband worked with the Chinese authorities to have Morgan's body released, I spent my nights and days house training Captain.  He was a bundle of energy and one of the brightest lights! The stone in my chest from losing Morgan felt lighter whenever he licked our faces or danced on top of us.  I felt certain that he had been sent to us to help us with our grief. 
 
This feeling was reaffirmed two weeks later when I took Captain back to the breeder to get his final shots and to pick up his paperwork.  It turns out that our little ray of sunshine was born on August 31^st-the same day that Morgan left for China. 
 
Captain had been a light in the darkness for the past 5 years.  He has grown to be 4 pounds and has traveled all over the world with us as a service dog.  He has never met a stranger and he makes friends wherever he goes in the same way that Morgan always did.  He has also introduced us to many wonderful new friends.  This little dog who was born on the day Morgan left the States and who became a part of our family on the day Morgan left for Tibet has been an integral part of our healing. 
 
Please read this article by EJ Montini to learn more about Morgan’s life.

-Elizabeth Boisson

Psychic Medium Susanne Wilson

Please click here to download a free Guided Meditation by Psychic Medium Susanne Wilson that allows us to connect with our children entitled Dream Visits with Loved Ones in the Afterlife.
Debra Martin and Sheri Getten
Debra and Sheri, gifted healers who have been featured in previous newsletters and have spoken at our Scottsdale meeting, have just published a new book entitled Direct Connect to God.  Please click here to learn more about their book and here to visit their website.

 

Jennifer Amato Tom’s Creek, NJ
email: jennifer0702@optonline.net  
After the passing of Jennifer's 2 year old son Joey, Jennifer found support from other bereaved parents. She is now finding healing in helping other bereaved parents learn to cope with their loss. Jennifer and Christine are co-hosts for Tom’s River.

Tina Babloski-Anderson Citrus County FL
email: helpingparentsheal@yahoo.com  
Tina Babloski-Anderson is a grieving mother who has learned to laugh again since the loss of her son Paul G. Babloski on October 1st, 2009. Her efforts to find comfort have led her on a journey that has not only helped to heal herself, but to bring smiles on the faces of other grieving parents. Tina said, "There is no one here in Citrus County, Florida that could understand the loss of a child, except for another parent that has experienced the same pain. So, we formed a group that supports and celebrates each other’s children. We find that by supporting each other, we can learn to laugh again.

Elizabeth Boisson-Scottsdale, AZ
email: evboisson@yahoo.com
Since the passing of her son Morgan at the Base Camp of Mount Everest due to acute altitude sickness on a student trip to Tibet in October 2009, Elizabeth has held monthly parent meetings in Arizona. She founded both the Facebook site, ‘Parents United in Loss’ in February, 2010 and then partnered with Mark Ireland to co-found ‘Helping Parents Heal’ in February 2012.  She cherishes the opportunity to meet both parents and their children in spirit.

Kristen Brown-Sanders Pensacola, FL
email: kristensanders@mcshi.com  
Kristen Brown-Sanders started The Next Step group in FL in January 2010 after her beloved daughter Sarah transitioned due to a distracted driver.  The Next Step linked in with Helping Parents Heal in 2012.

NEW GROUP - Lancy Carr-Washington DC
email: lncycrr@yahoo.com  
I have lived in Arizona since 1983. I met Karla Kay at Bikram yoga Tempe which I started doing shortly after Nathan passed away.  She told me about an event and I met Linda West, the first psychic exposure for me! It healed my heart a little and made me want to learn more. I also met Justine Schrimsher at that meeting and she told me about HPH. The first meeting I knew this is what would work for me.  I have enjoyed all the support, love and hope that is shared at every meeting. I got a new job in DC in Dec 2013 and I now want to not only support this wonderful non-profit, as it has given me so much help in my grief, but to help others heal as well.

Nancy Courtmanche-Eureka, CA
email: nancycougar@gmail.com
The loss of my son Robb, 29, has made me painfully aware of the need for parents to have a group setting that is safe and confidential. Healing occurs. Out of my loss I dedicated myself to service for others in volunteer Hospice patient care and grief support, as a Hospital Chaplain, and healing work.  This has prepared me to lead an HPH group now.

Janice Crowder-Torrez-Tucson, AZ
email: jcrowdertorrez@gmail.com
Wanting to honor her son’s spirit, courage, and the many gifts he left behind, Janice discovered Helping Parents Heal in Scottsdale, AZ.  Opening the door for other parents to grieve their loss, while offering support to small groups, Janice decided to start a chapter in Tucson where she resides and her son Anthony, aged 31, took his life. Janice is a MSN and certified in Meditation.

NEW GROUP-Lori Fina Jennings-Cape Coral, FL
email: lafj1@hotmail.com 
My son died at age 30 of a drug overdose. My surviving daughter has Down Syndrome. Life has blessed me with so many unique gifts & learning opportunities. I'd like to "be there" for people as my son was. My book, Liam's Lessons, was written with the help of my son shortly after he died. Practicing Isha Yoga has been my saving grace.

Sheryl Hill-Minneapolis, Minnesota
email: sheryl.hill@me.com  
Tyler, my beautiful sixteen year old son, died a preventable death on a People to People Student Ambassador Trip to Japan in 2007. My most important achievements are being a mother, a wife, nonprofit endeavors with the Clear Cause Foundation (to keep American children and students safe on foreign soil) and perhaps my work as an author. I did not lose the ones I love who have passed. I know where they are.

Julia LaJoie-Washington DC
email: JALAJMD@gmail.com  
I joined Helping Parents Heal in April of 2012 when I met Mark Ireland, Anne Puryear and Elizabeth Boisson at a conference in Phoenix, AZ on After Death Communication. There were many parents like myself who had lost a child and had discovered the healing that comes from ADC and other forms of spiritual growth. I am eager to join hands and hearts with other parents in the Baltimore - Washington area to grow our network and support each other in healing and spiritual growth.

NEW GROUP - Paige Lee-Boise, Idaho
email:  paigewlee@gmail.com
Paige is a Speaker, Coach, and Reiki practitioner and owns Crystal Soul Healing Center in Boise Idaho. Paige is dedicated to helping people who have experienced a profound loss, especially the loss of a child, face and release their emotions and find a way to joyfully connect with their loved one in Spirit. Her spiritual awakening came abruptly and forcefully after her only child, Bryan, was murdered in September 2008. Just as the only world she’d ever known was shattered, a new world opened. A world filled with Hope, Spirit, and Love; a world that allowed her not only to continue having a relationship with her son, but a world that opened her own true self into being.

Patti May- Ottawa, Ontario
email: pattimay@rogers.com  
I am a mother of 3 wonderful children, married 30 years to their father.I lost my son Adam in 2006 in a tragic auto accident. Since losing my son I have had afterlife signs that have helped me.  I began to search for like-minded parents to share our experiences. I came across the wonderful group Helping Parents Heal and asked if I could start a group here in Canada.

Jessalyn Nash- Sonoma County, CA
email: pwrolove@sonic.net  
Jessalyn Nash, M.A. has facilitated groups for over 25 years and is involved in the restorative justice movement. After her beloved 21-year-old son, Trystan passed away, Jessalyn has dedicated herself to helping other grieving parents.

NEW GROUP - Glenda Pearson-Granger, IN
email: glendia456@aol.com 
Glenda is a Reiki Master, Munay Ki practitioner, intuitive guide, Stephen's Minister, author and Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist.  Reflected in her book, But Should The Angels Call For Him, she speaks of her personal loss through the death of her only child, Chad, and believes there is healing for everyone.

Maria Pe - San Diego
email: maria.i.pe@hotmail.com
Maria Pe, J.D., is the mother of Sean Robert and Kyle Joseph, her two sons who transitioned to the other side on June 21, 2011.  That day was the beginning of Maria’s profound spiritual journey to find out where her sons went and how she could continue to have a relationship with them.  Having been educated in Western culture and trained as an attorney, Maria was skeptical and had no idea where to turn for the information and answers she was seeking.  She was guided to a shamanic practitioner who taught her how to raise her consciousness and energy levels through meditation so that she could connect with her sons.  She began keeping a written journal of her experiences which culminated in her book, Journey To The Upper Realm:  How I Survived the Deaths of My Sons and Learned to Communicate With Them on the Other Side (free at www.seanandkyleimaginefund.com and in hard copy on Amazon).   By sharing and talking about her own experience, she hopes to help other bereaved parents.

Sheri Perl-New York, NY
email: sheriperl@gmail.com  
Sheri Perl Migdol is a spiritual healer, an interfaith minister, an author, lecturer and mother of 3 children, one deceased. Sheri is the founder of The Prayer Registry, a free service for all bereaved parents. www.sheriperl.com.

Christine Volpe-Tom’s Creek NJ
email: cvolpe68@gmail.com  
After the passing of her 17 year old son, James, due to a vehicle accident Christine has spent countless hours helping other bereaved parents.  She is devoted to help other parents find tools to help them in their grief. Christine and Jennifer are co-hosts for Tom’s River.

NEW GROUP - Irene Vouvalides-Hilton Head, SC
email: ivouvalides@aol.com 
I lost my 24 year old daughter to esophageal - gastric cancer on February 17, 2013. She was my best friend, my only child. I have been on a spiritual quest since, reading constantly, writing about my life. I have had two sessions with George Anderson and had a phone session with Laurie Campbell. Having recently moved to South Carolina, I am very interested in connecting with other parents here. So happy to find and read Mark Ireland's books and have also taken great comfort in reading Dr Brian Weiss's books.

Laura Wilmot-Fall’s Church, VA
email: laurawilmot@gmail.com  
A retired federal HR Director, Laura taught Mexican Folk dance to children and adults and performed Mariachi music with her family for several years.  She “connects up” to her son through meditation and prayer.
Please contact Elizabeth Boisson (boissonelizabeth@gmail.com) if you would like to start an affiliate chapter in your area.