On September 19th of 2022, the Hospice of Yuma Grief Support Center received a call  from a gentleman by the name of Richard Mangis.   He stated that his beloved wife of 60 years passed away on August 2nd.  

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Mr. Mangis thought that he could handle the loss of his wife on his own, but upon going to see his physician, his physician explained that symptoms of grief could affect him physically and emotionally and that is when he decided to contact Hospice of Yuma, Grief Support Center. 

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Mr. Mangis stated that he was not comfortable leaving the comfort of his own home, so I offered him a 1-1 grief support home visit and he agreed.   

On September 22nd, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Richad Mangis and his beautiful dog, Abby. I listened with compassion to everything he shared with me, and he spoke about his grief with such an open heart.  He told me that he wanted to keep his home exactly the way his wife had it before she passed away. There were pictures of the family, the kids, and grandkids throughout the home.   

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We continue our 1-1 meetings every Thursday.  Since the holidays were so close, I would often check in on Mr. Mangis to make sure he was doing ok.  He’s currently working on the Grief Recovery Method Program and has discovered that his love for his wife continues to grow differently.   

Richard is a retired accountant who loves sports, reading, and writing. He started to write a book 10 years ago but has not finished.  During his grief support sessions, he shared that he continued writing to finish his book.  Also, Richard believes that Abby was a gift from his wife, so he wouldn’t be lonely. 

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I have learned from this experience that our community needs emotional support.  The loss of a spouse can be difficult when there is no one to talk to about emotions and what one goes through after the loss of an loved one.  Looking for help does not make you weak, on the contrary, it gives courage to make the call and seek help. 

 

By: Lorenia Villaescusa, Bereavement Counselor