Virginia hospice gives grieving youth a special Beyoncé experience

Photo byCottonbro Studio / Pexels

WINCHESTER, Va. – Blue Ridge Hospice recently invited 10 young adults to private skybox seating for Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE World Tour concert in Landover, Maryland.

The invitations were extended to grieving youth, allowing them to enjoy an evening of hope, celebration and healing. The August 6 FedEx Field event included catered refreshments and food, and was made possible by a partnership with the Washington Commanders.

Blue Ridge Hospice is a leading provider of community grief and loss support services, offering a variety of support groups, workshops, and individual support to grieving children and adults in a 2,200 square-mile service area in the northern Shenandoah Valley and Northwestern Virginia.

"Losing a loved one can be incredibly traumatic for young people. Many of the young adults we are serving in our bereavement programs lost a loved one during COVID, when they may not have been able to see their special person or attend funerals. These things affect healthy grieving and can lead to a lack of closure," said Susana Calley, Manager of Patient and Family Support Services at Blue Ridge Hospice.

"After a traumatic loss, a time to be together with other young people and to do something fun and good is exceptionally healing," she adds.

At the 2023 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé made history by receiving 32 awards – the most ever received by a single artist. During an acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude for her uncle Jonny, who died of HIV complications when she was just a teenager.

Beyoncé once described losing her uncle as “one of the most painful experiences” of her life. Jonny served as inspiration for the RENAISSANCE album, which features several LGBTQ artists. Themes of grief, sadness and healing are present throughout the album, making it an excellent source of solace and inspiration for those experiencing loss.

In the album's liner notes, the singer states, "My intention was to create a safe space, a place without judgment, a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking, a place to scream, release, feel freedom."

Photo of RENAISSANCE liner notes bookletPhoto byTracy Leicher

Most of the young adults who attended the August 6 concert are participants in Blue Ridge Hospice's new Adventures Through Grief program, a bereavement support group that uses a therapeutic role-playing method modified specifically to address grief.

The program provides youth opportunities to learn new coping skills and teaches them how to express grief in indirect and non-threatening ways.

"This [concert] is a real dream-come-true moment for our participants," says Cheryl Hamilton Fried, President & CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice.

"An important part of processing grief is allowing for moments of joy and celebration. We want our participants to know that it is okay to be joyful again – it's okay to receive good things in life and accept happiness and peace," states Christina Thomas, LCSW, Children and Families Grief Support Coordinator at Blue Ridge Hospice.

Development of the Adventures Through Grief program was made possible by a $30,000 grant, awarded to Blue Ridge Hospice by The New York Life Foundation through its competitive Grief Reach program that supports organizations serving bereaved youth.

Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving the northern Shenandoah Valley and northwestern Virginia since 1981.

With a mission of "brightening life's journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve," Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren.

To learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice or to get involved, visit www.brhospice.org, call 540-313-9200 or follow them on Facebook at @brhospice.

Blue Ridge Hospice Support LinePhoto byBlue Ridge Hospice