Sheryl’s life was like so many families: married with three beautiful daughters, she had many successful corporate years before becoming a stay-at-home mom while her husband worked as a corporate executive. They were both healthy and happy. She was able to pursue several passion projects like owning a granola company, starting a spinning studio, spearheading an anti-bullying campaign in her daughter’s elementary school, and reveling at being a dance and soccer mom as well as a devoted wife. In 2017, life came to a sudden halt: her now-late husband was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and her family was suddenly experiencing a traumatic tragedy in dealing with this terminal diagnosis.

For 27 and a half months, they held onto hope, trying to keep their family unit functioning to make the most of the precious time they had together. At the same time, they were attempting to navigate what was happening to their beloved father and husband.

When Sheryl’s husband passed away, there were many unexpected adaptations to make while trying to reengineer a “new normal.” She felt like there was limited support from people who could truly understand grief and the journey she and her family were going through. Sheryl realized she wanted to be a support for those who were grieving the loss of a loved one.

After being widowed, Sheryl truly understood the extreme level of loss that came with the passing of a spouse. It’s not just the person you lose; it is the loss of your future together, the abandoned dreams and goals on top of the secondary losses: the couple, the family dynamic, life events and holidays that were so special become so challenging. No one envisions a tragic loss or diagnosis coming and the tremendous day-to-day struggle of navigating through it all.

Everything about your life changes. People experiencing loss move forward at their own pace, and that’s when they need to be heard and witnessed most.

Her own experience with profound loss championed her to be a support system for others. She became a certified grief educator with David Kessler, renowned author, public speaker, and expert on grieving. She is a moderator on David Kessler’s Tender Hearts platform, where she facilitates group sessions for specific loss groups, such as loss of a spouse 51-60, loss of a spouse 61-70, the newly bereaved, and loss after illness. She is also certified by the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University in Grieving Children and Youth.