Lisa Singleton shares how Catholic Charities helped her move through grief
My husband, David, and I were married for 28 years, had five children – three biological and two adopted. We all lived in our historic dream home in Enid until one day our lives changed forever.
In August 2018, we found out David had Myelodysplastic Syndrome, MDS, a pre-leukemia cancer in his bone marrow. We quickly got him on the stem-cell transplant list and began our research. We realized the morbidity rates for this form of cancer were extremely high and at the age of 61, he passed away – leaving me alone, afraid and with a level of sadness I hope no one ever has to experience. He was the love of my life and now he was gone.
I was visiting his gravesite four to five times a day and sleeping in my his chair at night, really struggling with my grief, and then I lost my mother in May 2021 and my dog in July 2021. Then I lost our dream home. It was at this time I started asking people in the community for help. I reached out to Justin from Making a Difference who pointed me in the direction of Stacy at Catholic Charities. I felt I was getting stuck in my grief before I entered the doors of Catholic Charities of Enid in September 2021.
I started seeing Stacy once a week. The counseling sessions were very affordable, which was important to me because I live on a fixed income. I clearly remember Stacy telling me early on, “You haven’t fully grieved the loss of your husband.”
Stacy gave me the tools necessary to get through my grief and loss. She validated my feelings and set up a game plan for how I could get unstuck from my grief. I used to feel grief was like a wave, but my back was turned and I couldn’t see the waves coming. Now, with the tools I have, I can face the waves and see and feel them coming. I have learned through my sessions to re-frame my story, to find joy in my grief journey.”
I really wish I would have done this sooner. Grief comes every day for me. Just imagine every holiday, birthday, vacation and anniversary without your spouse.
I have started a grief program at my church entitled, “The Journey – Walking the Journey of Grief with Hope.” My program is a one-on-one mentorship program that takes the tools I have learned at Catholic Charities in order to help others.
To any donor who gives to Catholic Charities I would like to say thank you for being a part of my life and providing me with the resources I desperately needed in order to move through my grief. Your organization has touched my life forever.
Now I have a new life, a new beginning and have cut back my sessions to every other week. David would be proud of me and how I have been able to share his story and help others going through loss.
Catholic Charities counseling sessions: 20 hours at $20 = $400. Counseling sessions are normally $120 an hour, which would have cost Lisa - $2,400. Total savings for this client: $2,000.