Wednesday, January 16, 2013

"I just need to believe..."



Thank you to the families of the MISS Foundation and Parents of Murdered Children who participated in this story. Especially, thank you Myles.

We can, as a society, do better. We truly can.


BEREAVED PARENT SURVEY by MISS Foundation
Total Responses: 569
Age of child at death:
Before birth
176
31%
Birth-28 days
106
19%
1 month-2 yrs
116
20%
2 yrs-8 yrs
24
4%
8 yrs - 18 yrs
44
8%
18 yrs or older
44
8%
no response
59
10%
Mother
497
87%
Father
72
13%
100%
Program Importance:
Very Beneficial
Beneficial
Not Beneficial
No response
Support groups
317
159
44
49
Peer contacts
348
156
19
46
Newsletter
135
142
88
204
Memorial Svcs
344
140
29
56
Conferences
116
168
81
204
Risk Reduction Ed
179
120
76
194
Very Beneficial
Beneficial
Not Beneficial
No response
Support groups
56%
28%
8%
9%
Peer contacts
61%
27%
3%
8%
Newsletter
24%
25%
15%
36%
Memorial Svcs
60%
25%
5%
10%
Conferences
20%
30%
14%
36%
Risk Reduction Ed
31%
21%
13%
34%
Was the relationship between you and your spouse/partner strained after your child's death?
yes
331
58%
no
228
40%
no response
10
2%
Have you ever considered divorce or separation?
yes
183
32%
no
373
66%
no response
13
2%
Do you feel that your spouse/partner grieved differently than you?
yes
512
90%
no
48
8%
no response
9
2%
Did you and your spouse/partner receive marriage counseling?
yes
74
13%
no
480
84%
no response
15
3%
Did you attend support groups together?
yes
199
35%
no
355
62%
no response
15
3%
Have you divorced since the death of your child?
yes
41
7%
no
510
90%
no response
18
3%
If you have surviving children, did you notice a change in their behavior after the death of their sibling?
yes
264
46%
no
113
20%
no response
192
34%
Have your other children (child) received counseling or therapy?
yes
100
18%
no
268
47%
no response
201
35%
Have your spiritual beliefs changed since your child's death?
yes
399
70%
no
156
27%
no response
14
2%
If so are they:
weakened
strengthened
not changed
no response
123
288
90
68
22%
51%
16%
12%
Were you satisfied with the level of compassion given by:
very satisfied
satisfied
not satisfied
no response
hospital personnel
256
128
142
43
funeral home staff
311
149
76
33
first responders
242
166
92
69
family members
251
183
131
4
friends
222
205
136
6
spiritual leaders/caregivers
201
116
211
41
very satisfied
satisfied
not satisfied
no response
hospital personnel
45%
22%
25%
8%
funeral home staff
55%
26%
13%
6%
first responders
43%
29%
16%
12%
family members
44%
32%
23%
1%
friends
39%
36%
24%
1%
spiritual leaders/caregivers
35%
20%
37%
7%
Do you have a subsequent child born after the death of your child?
yes
141
25%
no
406
71%
no response
22
4%
was it:
planned
106
19%
unplanned
32
6%
no response
431
76%
Did you hold your child after your child died?
yes
419
74%
no
137
24%
no response
13
2%
If so do you regret your decision?
yes
5
1%
no
407
97%
no response
7
2%
If not, do you regret your decision?
yes
73
53%
no
21
15%
no response
43
31%
Have you used drugs or alcohol since your child's death?
yes
163
29%
no
399
70%
no response
7
1%
If so, did you use drugs or alcohol prior to your child's death?
yes
123
22%
no
204
36%
no response
242
43%





1 comment:

Myles Mommy said...

*tears. Thank you, Joanne. This story is beautiful. I'm so so glad you were a part of it. I know Myles was a big part of it, too, for bringing us together, and for making this happen.

xoxoxox

Becoming...

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The soul still sings in the darkness telling of the beauty she found there; and daring us not to think that because she passed through such tortures of anguish, doubt, dread, and horror, as has been said, she ran any the more danger of being lost in the night. Nay, in the darkness did she, rather, find herself.

--St. John, Dark Night of the Soul


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