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Grief camp in Natick helps families face the death of a loved one

The Milford Daily News - 7/12/2019

Jul. 12--NATICK -- This is an emotional time of year for Nicole Franchi and her three children.

The one-year anniversary of her husband's death is approaching. Gerard Franchi died last July 29, at age 52 after a nearly two-year battle against cancer.

"It's been a hard couple weeks," said Franchi, of Waltham.

To help alleviate some of the psychological pain, Franchi and her three girls -- Elizabeth, 11; Gina, 9; and Stephanie, 6 -- will attend a camp this weekend in Natick for grieving children and their families.

About 40 children in all, ages 4-16, from Massachusetts and New Hampshire will attend. All have lost a loved one in the past few years.

"The main theme is these kids are not alone," said Evelyn Amato, director of Supportive Care at Seasons Hospice Foundation, the Rosemont, Illinois nonprofit that runs the camp. "There are other kids going through similar circumstances. They are finding commonality."

Franchi hopes the camp will give her children an opportunity to share their grief, and an understanding that there are others in similar circumstances.

As for Franchi herself, some alone time is the goal.

"I'm looking forward to taking a walk this weekend," Franchi said. "I want to be able to do something for myself, to take time for myself."

The camp is held at the Riverbend School.

Activities will include music, karate and yoga. It's art-based therapy intended to help youngsters process their feelings, bring them out in the open, and recognize they aren't grieving in a vacuum.

Foundation representatives met with the parents and children to gauge readiness for a camp experience.

About 80 percent of the campers lost their fathers, according to Amato.

Many lost a loved one within the past two years, but for some it's been longer. One camper is a 4-year-old girl whose dad died when she was just an infant, but Amato said the girl's mother feels her daughter is starting to come to terms with what happened.

The foundation has been running the free camps for 10 years in several states, but this is only its second year in Massachusetts. Last year, it was on the campus of the former Mt. Ida College in Newton.

Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, one of the largest hospice providers in the nation, is aligned with the foundation. One of its in-patient facilities is in Milton, where 20 percent of the campers coming to Natick this weekend lost a loved one.

Jeff's Place in Framingham, a bereavement support service, referred campers. So did The Children's Room in Arlington, and local hospitals. Word-of-mouth and online searches by grieving families also accounted for some of the youngsters. An online search is how Franchi discovered the camp.

The work with parents and children doesn't stop when camp ends.

Feedback is solicited through a foundation survey. A get-together for parents and campers is planned for this fall.

Youngsters can also come back to camp yearly through age 16. After that, they can serve as mentors to younger campers.

"I'm really excited (for this weekend's camp)," Franchi said. "We have a lull in support right now, and the camp is perfect timing for my children."

Henry Schwan is the health reporter for the MetroWest Daily News. Follow Henry on Twitter @henrymetrowest. He can be reached at hschwan@wickedlocal.com or 508-626-3964.

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