By Susan Cushing
Published in the February 2025 Issue of Memento Mori
It is essential to provide children with clear, age-appropriate explanations about death while addressing their concerns truthfully. Equally important is maintaining routines, as structure helps create a sense of stability during a time of emotional upheaval.
Adults should encourage children to share their feelings through talking, drawing, or other creative outlets, and be patient with any changes in behavior. Grief is a process, and children benefit from ongoing support and reminders that their emotions are valid, and they are not alone.
The ICCFA Educational Foundation recently tackled this issue, partnering with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) to launch a public service announcement (PSA) campaign designed to inspire conversation about and drive passion for the issue of children’s grief in the United States.
“We are hopeful the PSA will raise awareness across the nation that children and teens grieve the death of significant people in their lives, and they need the support of those around them,” says Vicki Jay, CEO of NACG. “The Childhood Bereavement Model (CBEM) estimates that six million or one in 12 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. We are very honored to have a partnership with the ICCFA Educational Foundation in our mission to ensure that no child grieves alone. We appreciate the support the Foundation has provided to make this PSA a reality. Together, we recognize that children supported through the grief process have a greater opportunity to positively adapt to the loss.”
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) is a nonprofit dedicated to spotlighting the needs of children and teens coping with grief from the loss of a loved one. “We offer education and resources to support those who care for them,” says Deirdra Flavin, NACG’s marketing & development director. “Leveraging the unified voice of our members and partners, we strive to educate, advocate, and increase awareness about childhood bereavement.”
The Story Behind the Story
This poignantly persuasive creation naturally required the efforts of many dedicated professionals; however, at the heart of the project are three visionaries who are as imaginative as they are passionate about the subject matter. This special trio includes current Jim Price, senior vice president of industry relations at Johnson Consulting Group, along with Joe Weigel of Weigel Strategic Marketing, and Chad Vriezelaar, founder and creative director of GoLiveMediaGroup.
The PSA, which vividly portrays the depths of children’s grief, marks the second collaborative effort by these talented individuals. Their initial creation, “Final Responders,” compellingly acknowledges the invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication of professionals in the deathcare sector. Notably, their debut collaboration not only garnered immense success, reaching 127 million Americans, but also generated over $6 million in earned media value. Furthermore, it served as the catalyst that united this trio, showcasing their shared zeal for crafting stirringly resonant narratives on subjects close to their hearts.
Jim Price led the children’s grief initiative for NACG, just as he did with the “Final Responders” campaign. Not surprisingly, this encore effort promises to be just as powerful. Designed to raise awareness of the thousands of young people who struggle with the loss of a loved one, the artfully produced video is both emotive and informative, featuring compelling visuals showing the faces of children’s grief through short, close-up vignettes designed to resonate deeply.
“I actually became involved with NACG a year or so before COVID hit,” says Jim. “There was a documentary called ‘Speaking Grief’ and I had the opportunity to meet the woman who was the producer. It featured families who were experiencing the grief of losing loved ones and it certainly left a powerful impression on me.”
Jim was compelled to join the effort. “The more I got involved with the organization the more I wanted to be involved and do whatever I could to help. I’m proud to say I now serve on their board of directors. The work they do is wonderful and I realized that even though we’re in the funeral profession, we as members of ICCFA weren’t doing as much as we could for grieving families, children in particular. I had worked with Joe and Chad on ‘Final Responders’ and that was such a tremendous success, I approached them to work on a PSA for NACG.”
“The whole experience, working again with Jim and Chad was great,” says Joe Weigel. “We had such a tremendous response to our first project, ‘Final Responders’, that we figured why reinvent the wheel? We’re in a profession that’s known for giving back and being involved in supporting an organization like NACG that has done so much to help children going through one of the worst times in their young lives was really a no-brainer. I wrote the original script, but we all contributed. I think the final product is something we’re all very proud of.”
Chad Vriezelaar, who is now studio manager for Shift4, a POS processing systems company, has been in the video business for a long time producing videos for national commercials, companies like Netflix, and much more. His expertise behind the camera is evident coupled with the generosity of donating his valuable time and talent.
“It was the perfect team,” says Chad. “We all met on a Zoom® call, it was Jim’s idea … he’s always coming up with great ideas, and he presented the concept for this NACG PSA and asked what we thought. Of course, we loved it. I always like to take a drive to let my creative juices start flowing, so while I was working out ideas for the actual shoot, they were working on the script. I think Joe wrote most of it. But we were all part of it from start to finish. We just really work well together, it was a great experience, a great collaboration.”
“We are so thrilled with the work these wonderful people have created,” says Deirdra Flavin. “Each month, Joe sends us a recap of exactly how successful both PSAs are. The numbers don’t lie and the response has been overwhelming. The most recent report we received shows that the children’s bereavement PSA has already attained more than $4 million in advertising media value. That’s pretty darn impressive!”
Caring for Kids
“I lost my mom when I had just turned 18,” says Alan Caston of Las Vegas. “First I had to watch her suffering in pain for almost a year and then when she finally passed I was so full of rage I actually screamed at the nurses. My father was so lost he couldn’t help me deal with my pain, I wish there had been an organization such as this for me to turn to. I’ve spent years working through my questions, and anger. I went down some very bad paths and have only recently forgiven God.”
The NACG is the sole professional member organization focused exclusively on issues related to childhood bereavement. They provide peer networking, continuing education, and an annual symposium on children’s grief. “Our vision is to ensure that no child will have to grieve alone,” says Vicki Jay. “All bereaved children, no matter where they live or their circumstances, should have the support and resources they need. We strive to equip all who have the opportunity to intersect with a child or teen following a loss due to death.”
“As the proud sponsor of Roberta’s House, a family grief support center in Baltimore, the March Funeral Homes knows firsthand the effects of grief on children, teens, and adults,” adds Annette March-Grier, co-founder of Roberta’s House and NACG board member. “I am honored that the ICCFA Educational Foundation is supporting this effort to create awareness for children’s grief. We hope this will inspire increased financial support and meaningful action from viewers.”
To view the PSA, visit the NACG website https://nacg.org/nacg-psa/.
Susan Cushing is a regular contributor to Memento Mori magazine.
