Shoulder to Lean on Shines Light on Grief Awareness
By: Anne-Charlotte Kratz
Tags: Help, Loss, Community, Grief, Hope

Hey there! My name is Anne-Charlotte and I currently live in Miami, Florida. Besides Miami I’ve also lived in Virginia, England, and Connecticut. I went to Nova Southeastern University where I received both a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. I’m the first American in my family. My dad is German and my mother was French. Growing up I spoke English, French, and German, and since living in South Florida I can add Spanish to the list. In Miami I’m lucky to be surrounded by my amazing friends, my father, boyfriend, and my beagle.

The Real Reason Why I’m here:

Well, the reason is my mom. My mother battled breast cancer for eight years. In 2008 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, the doctors caught it early enough so, one round of radiation was going to be sufficient for killing the cancer cells. After her rounds of radiation were completed we were happy to hear that the cancer cells had vanished. In 2013 my mother began to frequently complain about back pain. In the beginning her initial thoughts were “I’ll just take an Advil and the pain will pass.” But, my mom’s pain didn’t pass, it got worse, and we soon came to realize something just wasn’t right. After numerous amounts of X-rays and blood work, we got the news that mom’s breast cancer came back. My mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other organs. In my mom’s case the cancer had spread to her bones.

Throughout the next four years my mom went through many different kinds of treatment. She did chemotherapy (orally) and also by intravenous (IV), radiation to her breasts and towards the end of the treatment also her brain. If there is one thing I can say about my mother is that she will always remain one of the strongest, bravest, most courageous women I know. Between the weekly doctors visits, body changes, and the list goes on, she refused let cancer steal her life. She continued to live her regular day-to-day life as best as she could and as long as she could. In May 2016 (memorial weekend) my mom had a seizure. She was rushed to the hospital where she stayed for 3 days undertaking more exam, but we left the hospital with a feeling of uncertainty. What happened 3 months after my mom’s seizure was something that none of us were ever going to be prepared for…

Shoulder to Lean on is an open platform that offers a place for those seeking guidance and support with grieving after the loss of a loved one. It was created as a safe haven for those going through difficult times and needing a place to express their feelings of grief, sadness, and to be able to share stories of a loved one.Shoulder to Lean on is to give others a chance to connect with other individuals who are also seeking comfort after the loss of a loved one. Connecting with others who understand and have familiarity of their feelings creates a positive environment and an open place to talk.

Regardless if a person has lost a parent, sibling, or spouse we all need to feel comforted and supported in all aspects when it comes to grief. It’s important for those seeking comfort to know that they are not alone in this world going through the same stages of grief and loss as they are. I find that when an individual can relate to another person who has gone through a similar situation as they have there’s certain level of trust and reassurance that no one less can feel and understand but them.

After my mother’s passing, I, too was on the search to find guidance, support, and comfort from others outside of my immediate family. But, to my disappointment and after numerous google searches I was unable to find anything close to a blog or site that is as open and straight-forward as this blog is. I created this blog not only to be able express my own emotions and feelings, but to be able to read others stories of their loved ones that they have lost and the struggles that tie with it. I want to know how others have coped with their feelings of grief in comparison to myself and all the other attributes that come with the loss of a loved one.

My goal for this platform is to give hope to those who are having a hard time finding it. To spread kindness and love for those who need it. And, to always remember the real reason why we are here in the first place all while shining light in the direction towards healing and providing friendship through a Shoulder to Lean on.