by donnaheck | May 8, 2022 | child loss
Mother’s Day has always brought many emotions for me at various times of my life. Speaking with friends I believe it is a universal feeling. I had what feels like a lifetime of Mother’s Day celebrations focusing on my own amazing mother and have many cherished...
by donnaheck | May 1, 2022 | Mental health
I wake up this morning and realize it’s May! Always one of my absolute favorite months of the year! It is when the calendar turns and the colors of the flowers become vibrant. The lilacs start to bloom and their fragrance brings me back to the day I brought my...
by donnaheck | Mar 23, 2022 | Mental health
The shocking, jaw-dropping text came through to my cell phone during a casual late night business meeting with some friends. I re-read the text, showed it to my husband, and excused myself as I stepped out of the room. With a text like this I must pre-empt that at one...
by donnaheck | Feb 4, 2022 | child loss, grief
Next Friday will be 3 years since my beautiful 33 year old daughter took her life. 3 long years since my daughter, who became my very best friend, felt it was “time” to stop being a burden. There was a “perfect storm” in the early morning hours of February 11, 2019...
by donnaheck | Jan 20, 2022 | Mental health, suicide prevention
The view from my balcony reflects the many hues of blue, turquoise, green and navy of the water, and is surrounded by lush green grass on the hills, mountains and islands. The speckled pink yellow, green, white and blue dots are all significant markings of the life...
by donnaheck | Dec 14, 2021 | Mental health, suicide prevention
Each day brings something new to the mental health journey of grief I tread. The ups and downs of my own feelings of losing a child in her prime and interjecting those feelings with the excitement and joy of the upcoming Christmas Holiday, gives me conflicting...
by donnaheck | Nov 23, 2021 | Mental health, suicide prevention
The Heck/Leedy crew began on a cold January afternoon in 2002 from a family of 3 (Heck) and a family of 5 (Leedy) to merge into one big Brady Bunch family of 8! We are so proud of our “eight” that many of us have a tattoo with the number 8 representing who we are....
by donnaheck | Nov 16, 2021 | Mental health, suicide prevention
Why did I feel the need to create @33forevermom page and blog? This has come up in recent conversations and I wanted others to know that I, (Donna Mencini Heck) started this page primarily for moms, dads, grandparents and the like, who may have tragically lost a...
by donnaheck | Oct 11, 2021 | Mental health, suicide prevention
Dinner with Dani and Greg 2011 Driving the few miles frommy hotel toward the Marina Del Rey penthouse Dani and Greg were so proud of and seeing once again where they both spent a year of their lives, gives me an incredibly bittersweet feeling. I imagine Dani on these...
by donnaheck | Sep 21, 2021 | Mental health, suicide prevention
“There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Do whatever feels comfortable for you, and don’t do anything you don’t want.” That advice was given to me by a grieving mom farther down the road in her own journey after losing her son. She shared with me her experience and...
