Create a short story

Part One
Create a short story involving the following categories. Use your knowledge of the impact of the type of loss/relationship to deceased and developmental stage and describe examples of the understanding of the death, reactions to the loss, developmental concerns,and three interventions.
Person Who Died
Death of a Parent (mother)
Type of Death
Death from Cancer
Developmental Stage of Grieving Child
Adolescence
Spiritual Beliefs
Christian

Part 2
Create a short script to explain the Type of Death/Person Lost in Part One:
Pre-School
School Age
Adolescence
Part Three
Create a Resource List of books, organizations, and websites that would be appropriate for the Type of Death in Part One. Write a short description for the books/resources and include a photo/logo for each.
Include at least:
Five (5) Children’s Books
Three (3) Local Resources (Elizabeth City NC)
Three (3) National Resources
ANSWER
**Part One: Short Story**
**Title:** The Empty Chair
Sarah was 16 years old when her mother died from cancer. She was devastated. Sarah’s mother had been her best friend and confidante.
Sarah’s father was also grieving, but he was trying to be strong for Sarah. He knew that she needed him now more than ever.
In the weeks and months after her mother’s death, Sarah struggled to cope. She felt angry, sad, and confused. She had difficulty concentrating in school and she withdrew from her friends.
One day, Sarah’s father sat her down and told her that he was worried about her. He suggested that they talk to a grief counselor. Sarah was hesitant at first, but she eventually agreed.
The grief counselor helped Sarah to understand her feelings and to develop coping mechanisms. She also helped Sarah to learn how to talk about her mother’s death.
Over time, Sarah began to heal. She still missed her mother terribly, but she knew that she would always be with her in her heart.
**Examples of Sarah’s understanding of the death, reactions to the loss, developmental concerns, and three interventions:**
**Understanding of the death:** Sarah initially had a difficult time understanding why her mother had died. She felt angry and unfair. She also worried that her mother would never come back.
**Reactions to the loss:** Sarah’s reactions to the loss of her mother were typical of an adolescent grieving parent. She experienced a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, guilt, and confusion. She also withdrew from her friends and family.
**Developmental concerns:** Sarah’s developmental concerns included her academic performance, her social relationships, and her emotional well-being. She was having difficulty concentrating in school and she was withdrawing from her friends. She was also experiencing a range of difficult emotions.
**Three interventions:** Three interventions that helped Sarah to cope with the loss of her mother were:
1. **Talking to a grief counselor:** The grief counselor helped Sarah to understand her feelings and to develop coping mechanisms. She also helped Sarah to learn how to talk about her mother’s death.
2. **Spending time with her father:** Sarah’s father was a great source of support for her. He spent time with her, talked to her about her feelings, and helped her to get through the difficult days.
3. **Joining a support group for grieving teens:** Sarah joined a support group for grieving teens. This gave her an opportunity to connect with other teens who were also grieving the loss of a loved one.
**Part Two: Short Script**
**Pre-School:**
Mommy and Daddy love you very much. Sometimes people get sick and die, and Mommy got sick and died. She is in a better place now, but she will always be in your heart.
**School Age:**
Mommy died from cancer. Cancer is a sickness that makes people’s bodies stop working. Mommy fought the cancer for a long time, but it was too strong. She is in a better place now, but she will always be with us in spirit.
**Adolescence:**
Mom died from cancer. It was a terrible disease that took her from us too soon. I know it’s hard to understand, but she is in a better place now. She is no longer in pain and she is surrounded by love.
**Part Three: Resource List**
**Five (5) Children’s Books**
* **Heaven** by Randy Alcorn
[Image of Heaven book cover]
* **Someone I Love Died** by Christine Watson
[Image of Someone I Love Died book cover]
* **The Tenth Good Thing About Barney** by Judith Viorst
[Image of The Tenth Good Thing About Barney book cover]
* **The Invisible String** by Patrice Karst
[Image of The Invisible String book cover]
* **When Dinosaurs Die** by Laurie Krasny Brown
[Image of When Dinosaurs Die book cover]
**Three (3) Local Resources**
* **Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Public Library**
[Image of Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Public Library logo]
* **Albemarle Family Support Council**
[Image of Albemarle Family Support Council logo]
* **Hospice and Palliative Care of Outer Banks**
[Image of Hospice and Palliative Care of Outer Banks logo]
**Three (3) National Resources**
* **The Compassionate Friends**
[Image of The Compassionate Friends logo]
* **Children’s Grief Network**
[Image of Children’s Grief Network logo]
* **Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families**
[Image of Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families logo]