Annual Courage Luncheon: Rainbow Kidz director shares vision for bereavement center (Photo Gallery)

PHOTOS BY AMANDA CALDWELL
FROM STAFF REPORTS

Superheroes are known for their courage and their willingness to help others.

On Wednesday, nearly 500 superheroes gathered at the Statesville Civic Center for the 9th Annual Rainbow Kidz Courage Luncheon. And all of them had one thing in common: a willingness to help the Rainbow Kidz Pediatric Grief Program continue to grow and serve more hurting hearts in Iredell County.

To achieve that means dreaming big, said Rainbow Kidz Director Leigh Ann Darty. And dreaming big includes taking the first steps toward building a bereavement center for children and adults in Iredell County.

“This center will allow us to serve our community better in an environment that promotes peace, comfort and support as they navigate their difficult grief journey. It will ensure that no one, adult or child, has to grieve alone,” Darty told the packed luncheon audience. “We want to serve everyone in this community who needs Rainbow Kidz — but we can’t do that at our current resource and space capacity. Simply put, Rainbow Kidz has to grow.”

The bereavement center has already received seed funding with a generous donation from Caroline Brown and her family. It will be located on land adjacent to the Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County facilities on Simonton Road in Statesville.

Rainbow Kidz continues to increase the number of people served, Rainbow Kidz Counselor Meredith Fleming said, with a record 770 in the past year. The program is provided at 44 schools per semester in Iredell County, as well as through individual counseling, crisis support and summer programs like Camp Rainbow, at the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont and the Statesville Family YMCA.

“Of the children we served in our school groups and camp, 50 percent of them experienced the death of a parent or sibling,” Fleming said. “An even more staggering number is that in these two programs, 80 percent of these children experienced a sudden death” of a loved one.

The program has also expanded to offer parent/caregiver support groups, Fleming said. In addition, the program added a fourth counselor, Maria Ramon, who is bilingual and certified in trauma counseling.

During the luncheon, former Rainbow Kidz participants spoke about their experiences receiving grief counseling — and returning as volunteers to help other grieving children — during a panel discussion with Rainbow Kidz Counselor Michele Smith.

Both Grace Eller and Shidarian Turner volunteer for Rainbow Kidz, and their experiences have shaped their future. Eller is a freshman at Wilkes Community College and is working toward becoming a nurse. And Turner is pursuing a master’s degree in social work from University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Eller offered advice to children who have recently experienced a loss.

“To a child who has just begun their grief journey, I would reassure them that they are not alone and there is always someone to talk to and have your back and don’t be afraid to admit your emotions. It’s easier to face them than to run from them,” she said.

Wyatt Roper, who lost his father at age 13, is now attending University of North Carolina – Greensboro. He has been a dedicated volunteer at Camp Rainbow.

“Rainbow Kidz gave me a safe space to explore and understand my grief. Going through the program provided me with a toolkit to healthily cope with my loss and they are still skills I still use to this day,” he said.

Darty said seeing stories like those of Eller and Roper come full circle add hope to her dream of expanding the program’s reach. She takes heart in the dedicated support from the community, knowing the current services like in-school counseling and summer camps, will always continue.

But she also envisions so much more to help all those who are grieving.

“My dream – our dream — is for a place of comfort. A place of peace. A place of hope. A place of healing. A place that allows us to expand — to serve more grieving adults and children who need the support and companionship of our trained grief counselors and volunteers during the darkest times in their lives,” Darty said. “Today, I invite you to dream big with us and to continue being our superhero as we watch the seeds we’ve planted bloom into something truly beautiful.”

LEARN MORE:

To learn more about Rainbow Kidz or to donate, visit www.hoic.org/Rainbow-Kidz