Meryl Hershey Beck - Loss, Survive, Thrive: Bereaved Parents Share Their Stories of Healing and Hope

Meryl Hershey Beck, MA, MEd is a teacherwhether facilitating a workshop, one-on-one with a client, or through the written words of her books. She began her career as a high school English teacher and became a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) in 1989. In addition, Beck

• is an Amazon #1 bestselling authorStop Eating Your Heart Out;
• created and developed a meridian therapy technique, SourceTapping, and offers classes as well as certification training for professionals;
• has presented numerous times at the international Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) conferences;
• develops and facilitates workshops, seminars, and teleclasses; and
• has been a frequent guest presenter at online summits and has been featured on radio and television.

Beck unhappily joined the Bereaved Parent Club in October 2011 when her only son Jonathan ended his life. Since that time, she has written articles and teaches workshops on grief and loss. Living in Tucson, Arizona, she enjoys spending time with her daughter Alison and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She can be reached through her websites www.SourceTapping.com, www.StopEatingYourHeartOut.com, and www.LossSurviveThrive.com

Meryl Hershey Beck is a shining example of how wisdom and light can be harvested from the darkest tragedy. As a friend and colleague, Ive seen her battered by waves of anguish after the suicide of her son, yet she retains her natural buoyancy in the ocean of a mothers undying love. If youve ever wondered if it can be possible to reclaim a whole and joyful life after unthinkable loss, Meryl offers proof. ~ Kate Hawke, director, Trauma Transformation Network

Rukiye Z. Abdul-Mutakallim (story p. 239)

Rukiye shocked and astounded everyone in the courtroom when she came face-to-face with the teens who murdered her son, offered to hug them, and made plans to visit them regularly in prison to help them become better people.

Rukiyes son Suliman was a Navy veteran and a gentle, law-abiding soul living in a rough neighborhood (by choice, trying to help the people there by his example), when he was shot, robbed, and killed a half block from his apartment building. Rukiye has attracted much media attention after the court appearance where she hugged her sons killer and his mother, such as a video produced by Humankind (over 44 million views and translated into several different languages), with thousands of positive responses to her story. In addition, a second Humankind video, which answers the question, "Why did you do this?" will be released in 2019. The Power of Forgiveness, a documentary that chronicles Rukiyes story, was the 2019 Webby People's Voice Award Winner in the Internet Video-Documentary: Shortform category. Rukiye lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a spokesperson and Instructor for Islamic Affairs for TCMA (The Crescent Moon Association) and has lectured at the Arab Academy for Science.

Alice Adams, Lac (story p. 45)

After Alice experienced the tragedy of losing her young son to congenital heart disease, she helped heal her grief by receiving Five Element acupuncture, which led her to becoming a Five Element acupuncturist, so she could assist others in a similar fashion.

In the early 1980s, Alice was working as a registered nurse in a large East Coast hospital when her 7-year-old son died suddenly of congenital heart disease. After this life-changing event, Alice entered graduate school and became a licensed acupuncturist in 1990. She also continued part-time work in hospice nursing for over twenty years. Alice is currently in private practice as a licensed Five Element acupuncturist and Qi Gong instructor in Tucson, Arizona and is passionate about helping others.

Laurie Arshonsky, artist (story p. 181)

Lauries beloved son Austin struggled with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities as a young child, and then mental illness as a later teen, which sadly cost him his life at 23.

Laurie is a busy mother of five, grandmother, watercolor artist and instructor. During the 1999 Cincinnati tornado, Laurie shared, I almost lost my life when my home was destroyed and my next-door neighbors were killed. My husband and I were injured, but grateful to be alive! Her best tribute to Austin is to live her life joyfully and give service to others. Laurie founded Strength in Mothers, a support group, six months after her sons death in 2005. At these monthly gatherings, she inspires and supports the members who continue to heal and thrive.

Michelle Barbuto, RN (story p. 85)

Although Michelle lost her 18-year-old son, John, in a motorcycle accident, she discovered that love transcends time and the physical.

Michelle has been in the nursing industry for 32 years, starting as a Licensed Practical Nurse in geriatrics and is currently a Home Health Registered Nurse, working with the frail elderly. Prior to that, she had specialized in Rehabilitative Nursing for four years. Michelle's passion for helping people live life to their fullest led her down the path of becoming a personal trainer and yoga instructor. She specializes and is a Master Trainer/Mentor for the T-Tapp method of fitness.

Vickie Bodner, LMT (story p. 7)

Vickie transitioned from an incredibly sad loss (a miscarriage) that was compounded by divorce, cancer, and depression, to a level of acceptance and surrender that she is certain will last a lifetime.

Vickie Bodner, a Reiki Master, has been a licensed massage therapist in private practice since 1996. Her specialties include therapeutic and relaxation massage and craniosacral therapy. Vickie specializes in energy bodywork that increases awareness and relationship of the body, mind, spirit and emotions.

Heidi Bright, MDiv, author, and national speaker (story p. 215)

The brain disease of addiction claimed the life of Heidis teenaged son when he fatally overdosed on heroin in 2015. Even as it happened, Heidi understood fully that the only way out of the pit of despair was to go into the abyss and sit in the agony for as long as it would take.

Heidi is intimately acquainted with grief. Confronted with a diagnosis of end-stage uterine cancer in 2009, Heidi consulted with a psychologist for assistance in grieving the impending end of her lifeand learned a highly effective process for managing emotions. In October 2011, during her post-op appointment following her third cancer surgery, Heidi was told to get her affairs in order. Amazingly, six weeks later, she learned she was cancer-free. Heidi has been free of any evidence of disease and free of cancer treatment ever since. Because writing is the way Heidi shares her offerings with the world, she turned 250 options for managing cancer into the best-selling book, Thriver Soup: A Feast for Living Consciously During the Cancer Journey (Sunstone Press, 2015). Within one month of Thriver Soups release, Heidis life was turned upside-down again by an even more painful grief: the death of her beloved 19-year-old son Brennan to a heroin overdose. She continued using the Map of Emotions process and it shifted and lifted her grief. Through her upcoming book Grieving an Addict (grievinganaddict.com), Heidi is sharing this and other life-saving gifts with others who also grieve by showing them a way to process and integrate their emotions.

Robert (Bob) R. Burdt (story p. 52)

19-month-old Brandon died from an incurable congenital heart defect, leaving his father with gifts about life and love that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Robert, known to friends as Bobby, became a father for the first time in August 1977, with the birth of his son Brandon. Tragically, Brandon died of heart failure before his second birthday. In order to create meaning from his loss, Bob joined with other parents (whose children also received care at Childrens Hospital in Oakland, California) in raising funds to purchase a home where families can stay while their child receives lifesaving treatments at that hospital. Bob was President of the Board of The Mourning Star Center for grieving children and their families, and he continues helping others through his volunteer work with hospice. His philosophy is Were not here for a long time but were here for a good time.