Senator Greg Kirk-- "When I was diagnosed with a terminal cancer, our lives changed! My wife Rosayln and I have seven children and nine grandchildren. The majority of the grandchildren were between five and six years old at the time and they had many questions about G-Papas sickness. They would leave me voice messages asking questions such as, do I feel a little better and could I walk today. We began looking for books to read to them to help them understand what was happening and to better prepare them for what the future held for their G-Papa. We found very few books that we felt would help do this. I met Yash, we shared our stories and realized that there is an unmet need in the homes of terminally ill patients. There are, at best, limited resources to meet the needs of children and grandchildren in understanding what is happening to and how to cope with their loved ones and these changes. Therefore, we have founded The Long Journey Home, When Children Grieve. The grief process begins long before the loved one passes away. Had there been educational resources during this time, the distress that my family went through could have been easier. With your help, we want to make those resources readily available on internet."

Yash Jani-- "Raj was diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer and as someone close to him and his family, I was able to witness firsthand the emotional distress including constant grief and stress about the well-being of their son and brother that his family went through. Throughout his treatment, not only did he progressively worsen health-wise, but his sister specifically became alienated from his family and would often be so overcome with sadness and grief that she could not even bear to see our own brother, ultimately leading her to develop depression. Had there been an educational guide during this time, the distress that Rajs family went through could have been averted. This led me to search for a program aimed at alleviating pain for those afflicted with grief due to a loss of connection to a loved one, but learned of the unmet need for this resource. Also, observing similar situation during the rotation in Palliative care gave any insight of importance of having issues surrounding grief and need for resources. Due to the lack of resources and awareness of this issue, countless people are afflicted with unparalleled grief, that can be helped and prevented with the use of books and other forms of help that Long Journey Home can provide."