Sean and his brother Connor typically spent their time playing video games, roughhousing, and laughing together, like so many brothers growing up.

Sean attends a Valerie’s House teen group with his late brother Connor’s former best friend.

The summer before Sean’s sophomore year of high school, in 2016, he found himself somewhere he had ever imagined: sitting in a Valerie’s House peer grief support group trying to find the words to talk about his brother.

“When I first arrived, it almost reminded me of an after-church parish center meeting, where the parents were talking, food and snacks were on the tables and kids were running around playing,” said Sean. “But when we actually got into the session, I didn't talk a lot. I was very shy and tense. I just clammed up because I didn't know what to say.”

Sean had come to Valerie’s House at the request of his mother, who knew how much he had been struggling with the loss of Connor. Like many kids, especially teenagers, who come to Valerie’s House for the first time, this was the first time Sean had been asked to talk about his late brother in a group setting. It was so hard, but Sean kept coming to groups, meeting more kids like him, and gradually opening up more and more.

Sean continued coming to peer grief support groups until he moved away to go to college at the University of Florida.

“With the help of Valerie’s House, I have been able to talk about my loss more openly,” said Sean. “The organization and everyone involved got me talking about my feelings and what I was struggling with, and I think that's the biggest step to finding your new normal. It helped me get the ball rolling on that very long road.”

SEAN, A FORMER VALERIE’S HOUSE TEEN, NOW ATTENDS COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND IS THE RECIPIENT OF A VALERIE’S HOUSE SCHOLARSHIP.

In addition to crediting the Valerie’s House community for helping him adjust to life after the loss of his brother, Sean also thanks the organization for assisting him in paying for college. He received a Valerie’s House scholarship to help cover his tuition.

“What I like about the VH community is just that—it’s a community. There isn't an individual going through anything alone. Like most things in life, there isn't one perfect solution to living with grief, but everyone is there to give you a piece of the puzzle. Something that worked for them might also work for you,” said Sean.