A Family’s Pain Shared Gives Social Media the Power to Change Lives
Two days ago a woman lost her son. Katie Allison Granju watched her son, Henry, slip away from her, stolen by drugs. Henry overdosed and was brutally assaulted on April 27, 2010, and though everything that could be done was, ultimately, it was too much. Henry died May 31. Katie must now lay one child to rest even as she is set to give birth to another. The randomness of life can sometimes be almost too cruel to bear.
Katie is a published author and works in the social media environment, here in Knoxville TN. She has shared her story on her blog, mamapundit. This glimpse into her life and the final days she had with her son is, to say the least, moving. It is a horrifying account of a parents worst nightmare.
I am planning on sharing this blog with my children, in the hopes that it will scare the bejeezus out of them. I hope that this will be enough to keep them from the path that Henry chose. Of course I know that this will not be enough but it will be one of the most powerful tools in my don’t-do-drugs arsenal.
I also strongly recommend to any parent out there to expose your children to this blog. For me, any child so affected by this that they choose not to ever try drugs, is where we will find a piece of Henry, his immortality.
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Hi Bri:
One of the epiphanies I had as Henry was slipping from us was the fact that so much of the response to his story was loving and positive.
Yes, the circumstances were horrible. And, yes, just about any parent in this situation would be sorting through every conversation, every decision, every moment with their child to find the one that could have changed the outcome. And, yes, there is grief and remorse and guilt and regret and coulda-woulda-shouldas to go around.
But there is something else here.
There is this amazing circle of love and acceptance and support and tenderness toward this beautiful child and his family. Of course there are detractors, but I have seen some pretty powerful responses to those folks from people who may or may not have even met Henry and the family.
I, too, have a gaggle of kids (ages 9 – 19) and they have heard Henry’s story repeatedly. I want them to hear both sides though. I want them to hear the tragedy of a child losing his life in such a violent and unnecessary and avoidable manner — and about the very sad community he leaves behind. I also want them to hear the joyful reality that there are hundreds — if not thousands — of people who love Henry and his family.
Perhaps if my children recognize their value, see this circle of support around them as loving and not just punitive, and become integral members of this community they will be more mindful of their choices. Perhaps not. But on this day when my heart is broken and my kids seem particularly fragile, it is my grasp on hope.
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I think that the outpouring of love is what is really drawing more and more people to this family.
Katie has taken what many families would consider to be a skeleton best left in the closet and laid bare her families very personal pain. She could have kept quiet about this and swept it under the rug, but she chose to give us all a gift.
As a parent of five, a story like this shakes me to the core, and as much as I want to hide my kids away from the world at times like this, I know that it is more important to teach to them the tools they will need to make the right choices.
I greatly appreciate Katie giving us this to share with our families, so that her pain does not become our own.
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‘I am planning on sharing this blog with my children, in the hopes that it will scare the bejeezus out of them. I hope that this will be enough to keep them from the path that Henry chose. Of course I know that this will not be enough but it will be one of the most powerful tools in my don’t-do-drugs arsenal.’
I learned of Henry’s death on Monday night, and stayed awake hugging my dear son, 9.5 years old, for hours, with Katie’s words going through my mind. On Tuesday morning and again Tuesday night, my husband and I shared Katie’s blog with our three who are still at home (the 31 yr old and 29 yr old are married and in their own homes). The photos of Henry and his family are beautiful and heart-breaking at the same time. Many thanks to those who are making Katie’s story known. Thoughts and prayers to Katie and her family.
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Thank you Mariann. Henry’s story, though sad, is one that conveys the starkness of the reality of this lifestyle choice. I hope it will serve to keep at least one, if not many, from making the choice he did.
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