Lorys Place News

Angie's Story
Apr 16, 2020

A Life Without Cassie

When someone dies, the ripple effect can be life altering. Angie shares beautifully the ongoing journey of life without her sister.

"My day starts early. Runs late. Moves fast. Four young boys and a husband fill my world. We are in a good place today but that wasn’t the case a few years ago. My story is our story and we are sharing our hope and joy in a new normal, hoping that if you find yourself at rock bottom you know where to go to–Lory’s Place.

January 2014. The words…sister…accidental overdose…gone…

The words burned a hole in my heart. Can’t breathe...stunned...reeling. Can life go on without Cassie?

It did, though it was never the same. My sister’s death was totally unexpected. Two little boys no longer had their momma. I prayed the phone would ring and it would be her calling to tell me it was a mistake, that it wasn’t her. That call never came. 

The stigma of an overdose shrouded our grief. My two boys became four boys as Cassie’s sons blended into our family. All my children were heavy with grief. We were dealing, coping, moving through the day, but not thriving.

It was time to seek help. I knew about the grief work that Lory’s Place offered for kids, so we began attending group nights. My sons were on a healing journey and I was determined to do anything in my power to get the help they needed. Until the car wouldn’t start. It was a group night session and unfortunately, we were not going anywhere. My husband counseled me that the boys would be okay missing one week–but would I? The fact that Lory’s Place is for the entire community is amazing–if this program didn’t exist, I’m not sure how I would’ve helped my boys through such a traumatic loss. This was also my first glimpse at realizing I had work to do in dealing with my own personal grief.

Without the tools we learned from the Lory’s Place team, I don’t know what we would have done after Cassie’s death. We are now able to talk, smile, laugh and share memories about Cassie. Lory’s Place has helped my entire family and they’re simply amazing!"

Read more of Angie's story and how you can help support the grief healing and education Lory's Place provides, click here!