I got sent this today via email....thoughts?
From the Heart
By Marc Freeman
Education Writer
January 3, 2005
In times of death, kids are typically an afterthought when it comes to sending and receiving sympathy cards. Fifth-grader Erick Fields wants to change that.
The 11-year-old student at Northboro Elementary in West Palm Beach is heading a project by a grief-support center to produce a line of youth-appropriate condolence cards.
"There was sympathy cards but nothing appropriate for children," Erick said of his attempt last year to buy a card for a 10-year-old boy whose dad died. "There were all these fancy words and stuff."
So with some crayons and imagination he crafted some card designs, including one with a red heart that has weepy eyes. The card reads, "I know you're sad but keep your chin up."
Looking to share his words of encouragement, Erick brought his creations to Hearts and Hope, a 10-year-old organization that specializes in helping children and their families who have lost loved ones.
He had attended more than a year of sessions at the West Palm Beach center from 2002 to 2003 after the deaths of five relatives and family friends.
Erick met with other children who were trying to cope with their losses, and together they drew more sympathy cards, said Patrice P. Austin, founder and executive director of Hearts and Hope. A set of five cards, including two drawn by Erick, was printed and could be distributed next year to area stores and hospital gift shops.
"My goal is to get these cards out to everybody who needs one," Erick said.
The organization is seeking a copyright for the card line, called Truly From The Hearts Of Children. Any proceeds from card sales -- 500 sets have been produced -- would offset printing costs and provide funds for the nonprofit center, which annually serves 260 grief-stricken kids from age 3 to 17 and their families.
"The true intent is simply that other children have the opportunity to be thought of, touched or recognized by anyone offering a condolence or an extension of caring," Austin said. "Kids matter, their hearts matter, they need to be recognized."
So far the .5 billion greeting-card industry doesn't agree when it comes to sending condolence messages to children.
"Do most kids that age comprehend death?" asked Mila Albertson, membership-services director of the Greeting Card Association, based in Washington, D.C. "I haven't seen anything for children-to-children sympathy."
Sympathy cards account for 6 percent of all greeting cards sold for everyday occasions, while birthday cards rank first with 60 percent of sales.
The association runs a Cards for Kids program that encourages schools to get children in the habit of sharing cards -- but only for major holidays, friendship and birthdays. The subject of death is avoided.
"It's very difficult no matter what age you are to convey your condolences," Albertson said.
Erick felt bad when his grandmother died and none of the sympathy cards that came to the house was addressed to him, said his mother, Tammy Fields.
"He wants kids to get cards while they're sad," said Fields, who also has a 7-year-old daughter, Jessica. "He's been there."
Erick is in a happier place these days, after that dreadful period in which he lost his grandmother, an aunt, a man he thought of as a grandfather, a baby sitter and a family friend -- compounded by the pain of a broken leg.
An aspiring drummer, Erick is the proud owner of a deluxe drum set formerly owned by Tico Torres, drummer for Bon Jovi. Torres had donated the drums to Hearts and Hope's annual Ball in the Fall charity event in October. After hearing Erick play the drums, Torres bought it back for $3,000 and gave it to Erick.
"It's great quality. It is top end," said Erick, who aspires to be a NASA engineer.
Hearts and Hope is aiming to officially debut the children's sympathy cards at the organization's next major charity event, The Hats of Hope, on Feb. 11 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Austin cautions that the project is only about healing children, not raising money for the center.
"It's a really beautiful thing," she said. "It's the idea we want to grow."
Marc Freeman can be reached at
[email protected]
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