ATLANTA — Grief is a daily battle for a group of metro Atlanta women who now have a plan to help others deal with the pain of loss.
They call themselves the Warrior Moms. They've all lost a child to tragedy and have processed their grief in different ways. Now, pain is their bond.
“Some days you’re not sure how to get out of bed and they go, ‘you can do it,’ or ‘you don’t have to today,” said Robyn Noe, who lost her 12-year-old son Shaun and her 9-year-old daughter Morgan in a house fire in 2019.
The group started small, but word of mouth and a Facebook page has helped the Warrior Moms grow from two to two dozen.
“When you walk into Warrior Moms, it’s like a reunion of us and our wonderful kids’ souls,” said Rae Ann Gruver, whose 18-year-old son Max died during a college fraternity hazing incident in 2017. “We can talk very freely."
Together, they share stories of the children they’ve lost.
“It’s so beautiful to see these women fight day to day, to bring joy, to bring their kid’s spirits alive,” said Michele Davis. Her 17-year-old son died in 2016. “That’s inspiring to me.”
They draw strength from each other and from God.
“My faith is, I know where my girl is and I’ll be with Christina again one day,” said Cathy Semeria. Her daughter Tini was one of four University of Georgia students who died in a car crash in 2016. “In the meantime, I’m supposed to keep on keeping on as Tini would say.”
The Warrior Moms have collected stories of their children along with the highs and lows of their personal pain. The plan is to put it all together into book form so that others can learn about the struggles of grief and how to overcome it.
“My story is about love and hope and grace,” said Donna Sullivan whose 17-year-old daughter Erin died 13 years ago.
“I think it’s going to be so helpful for other parents,” said Christine McHenry. Her son Jamie was struck by a car while on spring break in 2013. “This doesn’t come with a handbook.”
Lee Sertich’s 19-year-old son died more than three decades ago. She says at the time, there was nothing like the Warrior Moms to help her deal with the loss. Now, she feels others can benefit from her experience.
“They know that you can keep on keeping,” she said.
Many of the moms have formed foundations to preserve the memory of their children and benefit others.
“We’re supposed to use our pain because that’s our greatest ministry,” said Semeria.
You can find links to their foundations below.