Oklahoma Woman Finds Help To Cope With Mother’s Loss During The Holidays

The loss of a loved one is difficult at any time, but during the holidays, grief and sorrow can be heightened. For one Oklahoma woman, she found comfort through hospice care even after her mother passed away.

“Christmas was really big for my mom,” said Michelle Conroy.

Like many families, Conroy celebrated special traditions with her family, especially her mother, Joyce Warden. “Our front living room would be overflowing with presents just for me and my daughter,” she remembers. 

However, this year, Conroy’s mother won’t be here, she passed away 10 months ago. “She had come out of so many other things before and I thought she was going to come out of this,” she said.

Suffering from heart problems and dementia, Michelle decided to call Good Shepherd Hospice. “It's hard to lose someone that we love, whether we know that it's coming, or it happens suddenly, it's always too soon,” said Nancy Miller, a bereavement coordinator with Good Shepherd Hospice.

Miller said hospice care allows families to spend quality time with their loved ones. “They can focus on loving them and being there for them and making memories instead of all of the physical caregiving that comes with that,” Miller said. 

“I was still kind of in denial,” Conroy said. “I’m thankful I did because I don't know how I would have made it through the worst part without the support of hospice.”

Conroy continued to work with Good Shepherd after her mother died, through counseling, to help her cope with the loss especially as she prepares for her first Christmas without her mother. “I knew that I had somebody to talk to that knew what I was going through told me everything I was going through was normal,” she said.

Conroy says she cherishes the memories of her mother now, remembering her life through a collection of photographs. And while she won't be present this year, Conroy says her mother won’t be forgotten. “It's going be hard, but we'll get through it,” Conroy said. “I'll still fix something she liked for me to fix at our dinners and when I wrap a present for my daughter, she calls her precious, so on the tag I’ll put ‘too precious,’ just trying to keep a little bit of her with us.”

If you need help coping with a loss, here are some numbers to call: 

Good Shepherd Hospice Main Office – 405-943-0903 

National Crisis Hotline – just dial 988

Oklahoma County Crisis Intervention – 405-522-8100

Reachout Hotline – 1-800-522-9054

National Suicide Hotline – 1-800-273-TALK

For more information: www.goodshepherdhospice.com