Nancy Summers (Diego's mom) Support

I received an email from Nancy asking for help. Once before, without her asking me, I took it upon myself to help her and the kids - because of it and the love and kindness of so many, she was able to care for the kids and continue to provide the stable home the whole family has been accostumed to. This time around, she reached out to me as she is facing perhaps the second most challenging time in her life after Diego´s passing. I realize that while life for them is a struggle, none of us can really fathom the magnitude of the sadness and the overwhelming feelings that she is wrestling with on a daily basis. As Diego´s anniversary approaches in a couple of weeks, the family needs support. Read below so you can get a glimpse of the heartache she and the kids are facing.

¨I left work in December 2016 until the end of February 2017, possibly even later. I needed to take a medical leave. My depression has gotten the best of me and I have been recommended to try intensive outpatient therapy, if that fails I will need inpatient therapy. I am out of sorts at this point in my life because I am not coping well. Losing Diego has been the worst possible thing for me, I am no longer who I used to be, I feel lost, hopeless and helpless without my kid. I feel like a part of me died with him, yet I have to pretend to move forward with my life because I have the kids to care for.

My situation has been made worse by the fact that I was denied FMLA at work because I have not met the hours required. After Diego´s birthday in November, I began to really feel like I was falling apart at the seams. Weekly therapy and continuous psychiatrict appointments in addition to four months of meds seem to not have helped me cope as well as I need to in order to do my job.

I need support and help in the worst way right now. While life has continued to flourish for all those that were there for us before, it really has not for me. I am still stuck in that hospital room on January 30th watching life escape my beautiful little boy, watching him take his last breaths - feeling like my world is ending. I am reaching out because I am exhausted and cannot do it alone anymore. I am hoping that after we are done with all these first time anniversaries that I will be able to cope better because I just cannot go on like this anymore.¨

As once before, I am asking you to help me spread the word. Let´s send the Summers our love, give them emotional support because they really need it, and let´s try to help them out. I thank you in advance for the love and support we will all give this grieving family.

Yours,

Ingrid