Space Coast Parent - January 2018

Eva, who found herself a widow at 37.
“If I could have one wish, it would be
that my dad was still alive,” Mikey said
back in the summer in his Palm Bay
home. “But at least he’s not suffering
anymore.”
Losing a loved one is painful, period.
But for children, processing grief is an
entirely different experience. That’s
why the Bright Star Center for
Grieving Children and Families in
Melbourne, a service of Hospice of
Health First, exists. It’s funded through
the Health First Foundation, the
philanthropic organization in the
not-for-profit community healthcare
system.
2017 marked the first time Health
First participated in #GivingTuesday, a
global day of giving driven by the
power of social media and
collaboration. Held the Tuesday after
Thanksgiving — Nov. 28 of 2017 — the
movement is designed to encourage
giving.
Health First participated in
#GivingTuesday to benefit Hospice of
Health First, in operation for more than
35 years, and its programs. Bright Star
is a specialized children’s program that
encourages the expression of grief
through creative, positive play within a
peer group setting.
All gifts received on
#GivingTuesday directly benefited the
patients and families of Hospice of
Health First and its programs that
serve the community.
“Children who are grieving, they’re
not broken,” said Terry Musso, a Bright
Star licensed clinical social worker.
“They find friends here. They find
comfort here.”
The program, which features group
sessions, activities and biannual day
camps, is free and open to the public.
This community resource has helped
more than 2,800 children and 850
families since opening in 2000.
Here to help
Mikey Puffer and his mom, Eva,
have welcomed the help since Mike’s
passing.
“We’re doing our best to make it,
have our ups and downs,” Eva said.
She admits she finds it frustrating
that outsiders sometimes convey their
beliefs that she should be healed from
her loss by now. That enough time has
passed and normalcy should have
resumed. But mourning is very
personal and doesn’t have a timetable.
“Parents aren’t supposed to lose
their children, and children are
supposed to be older when they lose
their parents,” she said. “But that’s not
“Children who are grieving,
they’re not broken. They
find friends here. They
find comfort here.”
TERRY MUSSO
BRIGHT STAR LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
the way it works sometimes.”
Families such as Mikey and Eva’s
are exactly why Bright Star opened.
But Bright Star is about more than
acknowledging loss. It’s about
encouraging kids to enjoy life again —
through games, dress-up or taking a
few minutes in the popular, cushioned
“Hurricane Room,” where they can
safely unleash their frustrations. It’s
also about celebrating the happy times,
through crafts and activities that pay
tribute to those lost.
The twice-yearly Camp Bright Star
packs a day filled with plenty of that.
Held in May and November at Gleason
Park in Indian Harbour Beach, the
camp is open to grieving children ages
5 to 12. Arts and crafts, sports, therapy
dogs and games keep campers busy, as
well as lunch and a memorial service
for the camper and his or her family at
the end of the day. There, children are
encouraged to share stories about their
late loved ones and bond with others
also grappling with grief.
During the May 2017 camp,
volunteer Sheila Wilson explained
being at the event is a priority to her.
“I never miss camp,” Wilson said,
who brought nine therapy dogs to the
May session. “I love camp. It’s just
twice a year, where kids can be kids.”
Healing hearts
Eva Puffer was introduced to Bright
Star during her darkest days — after
husband Mike was admitted to Health
First’s William Childs Hospice House in
Palm Bay. Musso visited the family and
let Eva know Bright Star was there to
provide comfort for as long as it was
needed.
“She sat with me, and she let me cry,
and hugged me, and she was so
wonderful,” Puffer recalled. “She was
so caring and kind, I really took to her
right away. And I knew she was going
to help Mikey.”
Sara Paulson is marketing &
communications editor for Health First.
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JANUARY 2018 Space Coast Parent | 7