FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Living with grief after losing a child to cancer is an emotional journey for friends and family.
But an event this weekend reminds surviving loved ones that they don't have to go down this path alone with a Remembrance Weekend.
It's hosted by the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, an organization dedicated to supporting families with a child fighting cancer. They put on this annual event free to families who have a hole in their family tree because of cancer.
Families like Gracie Berglund's are given three days of different therapeutic activities to help cope with their grief.
She lost her little brother Jake to leukemia back in 2020.
Berglund says the biggest benefit of an event like this is finding people she can relate to that are also going through a very isolating period of life and trying to develop a new kind of normal.
“Jake never let cancer get in the way of becoming a child in any way shape or form. And I know he would want that for me as well,” Berglund said.
Berglund adds remembrance weekend helps her keep her little brother's memory alive, letting her take another step forward in her journey of closure.