BERLIN, Conn. — Gianna Brini, 15, of Berlin, found comfort in pictures and videos of her mom after she died of leukaemia soon after birth. She loved remembering how much her mom loved her.
She said, “It’s beautiful to know how much you loved me when she was here.”
Amanda Brini died a month after giving birth to her daughter Gianna. She was 23 years old when she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Her father, Dan Brini, said, “She did get to spend time with her in the hospital, in the NICU, and loved her to death.”
Gianna was one of the first kids from Connecticut to join Empower. It’s an international nonprofit that pairs kids who have lost a parent with people who understand and can help them.
“You can trust someone, and that person will be there for you when you miss your mum.” Gianna said, “You can call them and just be honest with them about what she went through and how supportive they can be when you want to talk about things like that.”
Empower’s Connecticut branch helped Gianna feel better by letting her share her story.
“We now help all young people who have lost a parent, no matter what kind. “Just to show that you can get through loss,” said Christina Zarotney, who works as the programme coordinator for Empower in Connecticut.
Zarotney’s mother Joyce died when she was eleven years old. She is now a guide.
When Zarotney went in, she thought, “Oh, I’m going to help her.” But what she found was that it helped her so much more than she could have dreamed.
Even though it’s hard to see all the Mother’s Day parties, she’s still here with me. “During the holidays like this, I really feel for her,” Gianna said.
The group is having an event at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on May 29. Anyone who could use this group’s help or who just wants to show their support is asked to come.
This year, the group wants to light up the grounds of the event centre with 600 lanterns. It’s the biggest fundraiser for the group.
“It lets us help all the kids who have lost a parent in any way all year long at no cost to their families,” Zarotney said.
