Normally, people do not know what to say or how to behave when they are around someone who has just lost a child. For them, being around a bereaved parent is like walking on eggshells. They are just so afraid to add any more pain to the existing grief. Talking to someone who has likewise been through the same experience is a very big help. The best person who can understand the pain of a bereaved parent is one who has been through the same trenches.
Bereaved parents speak the same language, their hearts know the same sadness.
It's a pity there aren't any support groups that exist where one can be with others who have walked the same path. I have thought of setting one up. Perhaps I will someday. My biggest support that first year came from another bereaved parent, the father of a friend who lived in New York. Though I had never met him, Sarah put me in touch with her dad and we became e-mail pals.