L.Y.G.H.T. News, April 2024

A program of Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families

Issue 13, April 2024

L.Y.G.H.T. Welcomes New Facilitators at Annual Training

Dougy Center offered the annual South Carolina L.Y.G.H.T. Facilitator training from February 27-29, 2024, in Columbia. As the Listening and Led by Youth in Foster Care: Grief, Hope, & Transitions (L.Y.G.H.T.) program expands across the state, so does our network of L.Y.G.H.T. Facilitators! We are excited to welcome 13 newly trained facilitators from across the state. If you are in South Carolina and want to learn more about L.Y.G.H.T. community sites nearest you, please contact SC L.Y.G.H.T. State Coordinator, Juliette Martinez, MSW at [email protected].

The newest facilitator trainees are excited about offering L.Y.G.H.T. groups to youth in foster care!

Two New Community Sites to Offer L.Y.G.H.T.

Crosswell Home for Children, located in Sumter County, South Carolina, will offer a teen group (13-17 years old) to campus residents and local youth in community foster homes.

Helping Hands, located in Aiken County, South Carolina, will offer a teen group (13-17 years old) to campus residents and local youth in community foster homes.

L.Y.G.H.T. Community has Special Connection to Dougy Center

In 1981, Dougy Turno from Aiken County, South Carolina traveled to Portland, Oregon to receive experimental treatment for an inoperable brain tumor at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Dougy wanted to talk about what he was going through, and he sensed that the adults around him didn’t know how to talk with him about the fact that he was dying.

Beverly Chappell, a nurse who was connected with Dougy through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, began supporting Dougy and his family during their time at OHSU. Bev learned from Dougy that children and teens who are grieving often need to talk with others their own age who are facing similar circumstances.

Dougy Turno (top left); Beverly Chappell (bottom left); Dr. Donna Schuurman in Aiken, South Carolina, with two of Dougy's brothers, David and Daniel (right).

A year later, Bev started the very first peer grief support program for children who are grieving. Today, Dougy Center provides grief support and resources to thousands of children, teens, young adults, and their adult family members each year, including teens and young adults in foster care through the L.Y.G.H.T. program.

Recently, Dougy Center Executive Director Emeritus, Dr. Donna Schuurman, had the opportunity to meet with Dougy’s family and visit the hometown of the young boy who inspired the founding of Dougy Center. Donna shared Dougy Center updates with the family including the start-up of the L.Y.G.H.T. program at Helping Hands in Aiken County, a residential organization for youth in foster care.

Stay Connected with L.Y.G.H.T.

Follow all things L.Y.G.H.T. on our Instagram and Facebook social media platforms where you will find weekly posts and L.Y.G.H.T. updates, including upcoming events and grief resources for supporting youth in foster care.

Like our page on Facebook: @lyghtprogram

For more information about L.Y.G.H.T., send us an email or visit our website.