Parent Grief Support Group to kickoff in Utica on Tuesday

Center for Family Life and Recovery to begin new support group on Tuesday solely for parents who have lost a child due to addiction or overdose.

Or an overdose.

News channel two's gary liberatore has more on the new 'parent grief support group' that will meet for the first time on tuesday.

Tc : 11:20 "just a very loving, giving, intelligent, funny, exuberant young lady.

Wonderful mom..."

Tc : 11:33 "a sister, a friend, and niece..."

Kelhi and rodney giarusso of mohawk lost their 31 year old daughter erin giarusso...who struggled with addiction, got the help she needed, was clean for a year, then died of a single overdose....on november 10th of 2019... .

None .

None tc : 00:22 "she passed away and thanksgiving right on the heels of thanksgiving and then here comes christmas..."

The entire family felt lost and alone...no where to turn for support...they knew of no other parents that had gone through the same thing... tc : 03:16 "like she said the stigma of addiction is, its that guy thats in a trenchcoat living under a bridge, but it only happens to those people, it isnt, its all walks of life, it doesnt matter if you have money, no money, where are you come from if you have it all if you dont have it all affects everybody equally."

They somehow got through the holidays last year...and now are spearheading a brand new support group in the mohawk valley so that no other parents have to go through what they've gone through...alone... tc : 00:41 "youre just desperate to talk to other people who have gone through that journey."

Tc : 00:50 ..."to be told that youre not gonna be in this abyss of pain forever."

So along with the center for family life and recovery in utica....the new support group will convene for the first time this tuesday from 6:00 to 7:30...via zoom.

(cassandra sheets, executive director, center for family life and recovery) tc : 04:28 "its truly a support group, its not a therapy group its just a support each other and then what ill do is create a net work or theyll continue to support each other even outside of the group."

Center for family life and recovery executive director cassandra sheets says the support group is soley for parents who have lost a child due to addiction or overdose... tc : 05:22 "the support group is tlc, which is an acronym for the light carried& which is the light that we all carry for our children that have journeyed on..."

Tc : 10:22 "so how many squares on a zoom page can you get in because a lot of people are going to be.

As many as we need to as many as we need to whatever it takes...."

Tc : 06: 35 "that shouldnt happen, you should never be predeceased by your children.

And shes looking right above you there& always and she is the driving force and everything that we do is to help one parent not go through this."

(prerecorded tag from sports, lower 3rds are already on the screen) what a moving interview for sure.

Again that support group is set for tuesday night from 6:00 to 7:30... ....you do have to call the center for family life and recovery in utica to be part of the zoom meeting.

The giarusso's are also working with the center for family life and recovery on two other projects...a website called erinslight...which you probably have noticed is on their tee-shirts.......and something new this holiday season in the mohawk valley called 'stockings of hope'.

Two powerful efforts focused on helping those suffering from addiction and their families.

We will have much more on those two stories on monday on the live at five newshour and news chanel two at six.

Reporting in the studio, gary liberatore, news channel 2.> coming up on new channel 2 weekend at 6... a free food giveaway