Today I share my conversation with the amazing Jill Cowan, Max's mom, who lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada.  Their family was devastated, and their lives shattered.  "Jill is a fellow survivor parent, having lost her beloved son, Maximilian (Max) in March of 2015. Max was just 16 years old. She is also the mother of two surviving children, Zachary and Neave-Marie, a surrogate mommy to Jinx the cat, and wife to a fiery Scottish man, Brian. Jill blogs about navigating her journey of survivorship, and loves all things related to art, fashion and adventure! Jill was a preschool teacher, a daycare provider and now works at the local Ronald McDonald House, supporting sick children and their parents who have extended hospital stays. She loves to travel and someday would like to revisit her roots in the sports of karate and dance. "

Today Jill and I discussing: 

•  Max's admission of depression, their (great) response to it and the outcome of suicide only 5 months later
• Grief and love and the dualities and complications
• Narrative Therapy - what it is and why it helps grievers of traumatic loss SO much.
• Fighting the Stigma - Talking about Suicide is helpful, not harmful with youth!
• Mental health deficiencies - in Canada and the U.S.
• And So. Much. More!

What they do, who they are, is best described in her own words straight from their website:

"Healing to The Max. Inc. is a compassionate community of support for those who have suffered a traumatic loss by suicide. Our programs of hope and healing are the first of their kind, having been written by a combination of professionals and survivors of a traumatic loss by suicide.  They are based on a strong foundation of Narrative Therapy, which is easily adaptable to allow for all cultural nuance's to be adapted. It moves away from the traditional belief that you must achieve closure to heal, and instead, invites to practice the art of "Saying Hello, Again".  We keep the connection going far beyond the structured programmes ... while they "Learn to live with grief and joy, hand in hand."

Find Healing to the Max (.org) HERE
INSTAGRAM HERE
FACEBOOK HERE
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