VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Mother's Day is a day to celebrate mom with some flowers, a card or a phone call. But for Virginia Beach mom Kimberly Griffin, the holiday is hard to celebrate.
"Every Mother's Day I would get a text asking if I was okay and messages that would say 'Happy Mother's Day,' but I don't get that now and it makes me feel empty," said Griffin.
Griffin is a mom of three sons, two of whom she lost in the last four years.
The most recent loss was on this past New Year's.
"I just recently lost my oldest son Christopher to a pedestrian accident," explained Griffin. "He tried to cross a highway, but Chris was drinking and he halfway made it through crossing the intersection when a car was coming up the freeway and he hit him."
Griffin said this tragedy followed the loss of her younger son Joseph, who died in 2019 of fentanyl poisoning in her home.
"His girlfriend was here and she didn't know CPR. When paramedics came, he had been out too long and he was brain dead," she said.
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In her grief, Griffin wanted to give back and started a nonprofit called Support Joey's Heart. The organization raises awareness for drug addiction, bullying, and depression, which Griffin believes contributed to the death of both of her boys.
"I started a hoodie line in honor of my son Joseph Michael," she said. "That hoodie apparel helps those with mental health disparities like depression, schizophrenia and OCD."
Since Joseph's death, Griffin has become an advocate against drug use and is working on encouraging businesses and homes to have Narcan.
"Just like we have a first aid kit in your home, you have to have a Narcan kit. If I had one in my home in 2019, I think my son would be alive today," said Griffin.
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Before the death of her sons, Griffin put pen to paper and has written seven children's books so far, some of which illustrate her sons.
Each one was identical to her sons' lives when they were alive. She says writing has helped her through the grieving process.
"Now I'm doing an animated story called 'My Letter to Heaven.' It's a little cartoon for children who are going through grief," explained Griffin.
Griffin said she knows how painful grief can be, which is why she had this message for moms like her who are struggling with the loss of a child: "Don't be afraid to share what it is you are going through. Don't be afraid to be a little bit different, and don't be afraid to take chances."
Later this summer, there will be an award ceremony to recognize parents who lost a child. To learn more you can click the link, here.
