A new support group in Tucson is offering siblings who have lost a brother or sister a space to connect, heal, and share their experiences.

Last month, members of Helping Siblings Heal gathered at Oro Valley’s Riverfront Park for their first ever in-person gathering in an afternoon of solidarity and support.

Helping Siblings Heal is a support group for and run by people who have lost a brother or sister. The group is an affiliate of Helping Parents Heal, an Arizona-based nonprofit that provides support, resources and community to parents around the world who have lost children.

Helping Parents Heal was started by Elizabeth Boisson, who founded the organization after experiencing the loss of two of her children. Her daughter, Chelsea, died two days after birth, and her son, Morgan, died in 2009 at age 20.

Morgan Boisson was studying abroad in China with the University of Arizona when he suffered a fatal case of severe altitude sickness at a base camp near Mount Everest after driving from 11,000 feet to nearly 18,000 feet in less than two days.

Despite these losses, Boisson found a path toward healing and now dedicates her life to helping others who have experienced loss. The organization is based in Cave Creek, and Boisson serves as the newsletter editor and leads the Phoenix/Scottsdale affiliate group.

In Tucson, Helping Parents Heal hosts regular meetings that provide parents with support, understanding and the opportunity to learn from guest speakers, including grief specialists, spiritual leaders and parents who have navigated their own healing journeys.

The group’s Tucson meetings take place on the second Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at Unity of Tucson, located at 3617 N. Camino Blanco. The meetings provide a safe space for parents seeking understanding and healing.

Boisson said Helping Parents Heal goes beyond traditional bereavement groups by incorporating a spiritual approach to healing.

“We provide a safe space where parents can share their experiences without fear of judgment,” Boisson said.

Boisson said one of the key aspects of the group is fostering a supportive community.

“Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to endure alone. We want to provide a space where parents feel heard and understood,” Boisson said.

In addition to her work with Helping Parents Heal, Boisson has compiled and contributed to several books aimed at helping parents navigate their grief. 

"Writing these books was a way to give voice to the stories of so many parents who have found light in the darkness," she said.

Helping Siblings Heal shares many of the same goals as its parent organization, but also aims to support what organizers call an often-neglected sector of the grief community.

The group hopes to enable open and confidential online discussions, local events and meetups to help people connect and build a supportive community in person and online. It is open to people of all religions and beliefs.

Organizer Anna Buckmaster lost her brother and only sibling, Pete, in a car accident in 2014. She quickly realized there were no support systems or communities specifically for grieving brothers and sisters and struggled to find people to confide in.

After her parents joined and found comfort in Helping Parents Heal, she felt compelled to create a sibling branch.

She has been joined in her efforts to lead the group by Cody Brooks, who helped coordinate the group’s first in-person outing in Oro Valley last month.

“It was nice to meet up with friends and talk about our siblings. It’s not very often that we get the opportunity to share our loved ones in spirit,” Brooks wrote on the Helping Parents Heal blog. “I am grateful to have people in my life I can share memories with and create new ones.”

Alexis Nagore, the event’s co-coordinator, wrote that she enjoyed meeting new and continuing members of the group.

“This journey is bright and beautiful, being a shining light sibling and teaching others how to be one as well,” she wrote. “I’m so excited to see what the future holds for each of us as we continue to hold meetings.”

Lauryn Abozeid is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at labozeid@arizona.edu.

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