HUNTSVILLE — When Esther Camealy first walked through the doors of Huntsville Hospital’s Caring House, she was carrying more than the weight of pregnancy; she was carrying the devastating knowledge that her unborn child, Isaac, would not survive.
While pregnant with her fourth child, she and her husband Clint learned that he had Trisomy 13, a fatal genetic condition.
“I came to know about the Caring House during my pregnancy,” she said. “With my fourth baby, we got a fatal diagnosis and someone recommended that we learn about the Caring House. I’d never heard of it before. It has been the sweetest experience for our family. My kids have had such an incredible opportunity to remember him.”
The family began receiving support even before Isaac was born.
“We actually started using their services before he was born and before he died, which was really incredible because the Caring House came alongside us and helped prepare them for that experience before it happened,” Camealy said.
Her older children have participated in grief groups, while her preschooler has received one-on-one counseling.
“They’ve made sure he can express his feelings and know that all those feelings are OK and welcome and healthy,” she said.
Camealy said the Caring House has given her children something no one else could: peers who understand.
“My oldest son started first grade the same week his brother died,” she said. “To be six years old and to carry that weight, when none of your classmates know what that’s like, is such an isolating and lonely experience.
“The Caring House is full of children who understand that path. He doesn’t have to carry that weight by himself.”
She said the Caring House continued to walk alongside her family through the birth of her fifth child, helping them process both grief and the uncertainty of a new pregnancy.
“They also helped us work through the uncertainty of what happens, are we going to be able to keep this baby too?” she said.
Looking back, she calls the nonprofit a lifeline.
“I don’t know where we would be without it,” she said. “So we are so grateful to our community for being able to provide us with this incredible resource. My children are forever changed in the best way because this exists for us.
“And so we just want to say thank you, and we just are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this family.”
Healing through play and expression
Inside Caring House, therapy often looks like play.
In the Sand Tray Room, children choose figurines, animals or objects to represent emotions or memories. Through play, they can act out their stories in ways that words cannot always capture.
“Sometimes it’s a lot easier to use imaginative play than to talk,” said Brittany Ellisor, a child life specialist.
Other rooms include the Volcano Room, where padded walls and punching bags allow children to release anger and frustration. Teenagers have art and game rooms, while younger children often work through their grief with medical play and arts and crafts.
“We may look like we’re just playing,” Ellisor said, “but really we’re having hard conversations on the sidelines.”
Expanding for the Future
This year marks 30 years of the Caring House serving Huntsville-area children and families. To celebrate, the nonprofit is expanding into a new building that nearly triples its space.
“This facility allows us to see more than one family at a time,” said Jill Falling, manager of the Caring House and a grief and trauma therapist. “That is huge for after-school hours when the need is greatest. We’ll also have a large community education room where we can train school counselors and social workers on how to best support grieving children.”
The Caring House currently serves about 120 children, offering individual, group, and family support at no cost. Its staff also provides crisis response in schools and works with Hospice to help children understand death before a loved one passes.
“Most families don’t know how to talk to their kids about death,” Falling said. “That’s where we step in.”
Community support makes it possible
The Caring House is free for families, supported entirely through community partnerships and donations.
Recently, more than 30 associates from Regions Bank joined volunteers for a workday, painting, cleaning and preparing the new facility.
“When Amy George of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation reached out, it was a no-brainer,” said Sean Kelly, Huntsville Market Executive for Regions Bank. “We had more than 30 associates participate. When you think about the mission here, kids who have lost a loved one, families who need a place to grieve and heal, what better way to give back?”
Regions has also provided $100,000 in grant funding to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation this year. The Regions Foundation contributed an additional $150,000 for local programs.
Families and community members can also support the Caring House by giving online through the Huntsville Hospital Foundation or purchasing items from its registry at myregistry.com, which includes supplies for Paxton, the facility’s therapy dog.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
