No one understands the grief of losing a child like another parent who has experienced it themselves. Our Grief Mentor Program was created to offer compassionate, one-on-one support from bereaved parent volunteers who understand what it's like to walk this path.
How the program began
by Katie Hurlbut
I am a Palliative Care Family Advisor as well as a Grief Mentor for Texas Children’s Hospital. My grief journey started when one of my twin girls, Ella Grace, passed away at 7-weeks-old due to complications from a widespread bacterial infection.
In those early days of grief, I longed to talk to another mom who had also experienced child loss. I needed to be able to ask someone if what I was feeling was normal and to know that it was possible to not only survive but also to heal. That desire is what led to the development of the Grief Mentor Program.
My hope is that no bereaved parent will ever feel alone in their grief.
What the program offers
Each grieving parent is paired with a formally trained Grief Mentor, who is another parent who has experienced the death of a child and is further along in their grief journey. Grief Mentors provide emotional support, validation, and encouragement, all from a place of understanding and lived experience of losing a child. This connection is meant to help parents feel less alone during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Mentors do not provide counseling or clinical advice, but instead offer support through shared stories, open ears, and kind hearts.
“I was matched with Katie Hurlbut while my daughter Francesca was in the NICU around December 2023. This match happened shortly after my son Henry passed away four days after birth on October 23, 2023. Henry was diagnosed with Bilateral Multicystic Kidney while I was 20 weeks pregnant with fraternal boy/girl twins, a fatal diagnosis. My grieving was very heavy before I even gave birth to my twin babies. After Henry went to heaven I felt like I was split into two different people. One part of me was very focused on getting our daughter Francesca home from the NICU while the other part was deeply grieving our tragic loss. I specifically remember feeling extremely isolated after we lost our Henry. I can confidently say that if I didn’t have Katie as my mentor during those early days my grief journey would look a lot different and not in a positive way. Katie has helped me in ways I didn’t even see possible at that time, she took the time to talk to me and listen to my story and let me feel my emotions. It felt very special to be able to share my story with another mom who had also gone through losing one of her twin babies in the same NICU where I lost my son. I longed to talk to someone who “understood” what I was feeling. I very much so look up to Katie, seeing how far she has come on her grief journey is just remarkable. How she has been able to honor her beautiful daughter Ella through the years gives me so much inspiration. I cannot thank Katie enough for getting me through my darkest days and being a shining light for me.” - Brittany Shasha, Henry’s mother
How it works
Families are matched with a trained Grief Mentor based on shared experiences and preferences.
Communication is flexible and can include text, phone calls, email, or virtual conversations—whatever feels most comfortable.
The mentorship lasts 14 months, offering support through the many firsts that can follow a loss.
If you have questions about the program or would like to learn more before signing up, please contact the Grief Resource Team at GriefSupport@texaschildrens.org.