By Barb McKay

A parent can experience no greater pain than the death of a child. That is a pain that Joanne McClory and Vida Proctor know all too well. Both Kincardine women lost their sons and needed support as they grieved. Now, the women have started a support group in Kincardine to help other parents cope with the loss of a child. “We had heard about an organization called The Compassionate Friends and we decided this area needs one,” McClory said. The Compassionate Friends is an international self-help group for bereaved parents. People can attend and can talk about their loss and grief in a supportive environment and hear from fellow parents. McClory said she and Proctor have been assisted by other chapters in Ontario to set up a chapter in Kincardine. The Compassionate Friends Support Group – Bruce County held its first meeting on Tuesday and will meet every Tuesday at the Kincardine Baptist Church at 559 Queen Street at 7:30 p.m. “When someone says, ‘I’m broken,’ people don’t understand it, but when you’ve lost a child you do,” McClory said. “We are not alone and there are people who understand.” For more information about The Compassionate Friends, visit www.tcfcanada.net, email Kincardine@TCFCanada.net, phone McClory at 519-441-2911 or Proctor at 519-832-7667.