Petschenig opening doors to kids dealing with grief
There's no one-size-fits-all approach in dealing with the death of someone near and dear, a world Will Petschenig knows all too well.
After the devastating and sudden loss of his father, Dan, to a pulmonary embolism in 2013, Petschenig says his grieving never stops. He wants children in similar situations to know that they're not alone, that there is peer support and safe places available in which to share their experiences.
A 25-year-old Manotick native who won the Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals in 2015 and has spent the past four years playing professional hockey, Petschenig has his sights set on opening the doors to a first-class Children's Grief Centre/Heart Like Mine house in the Oshawa area.
“I can use myself as an example,” Petschenig said in a telephone interview. “Everyone grieves differently. For me, counselling didn't work when I was going through stuff after losing my Dad.
“Children's Grief Houses offer peer support. You realize others are going through the same thing. It's an open model. Everything is included, with professional counselling and creative arts programs to help with mental health.”
There are other support homes, but there are many families who can't afford the costs of the facilities when a parent dies. Petschenig says “we lost everything when my Dad died,” and adds that access to his project will be free.
A well-trained volunteer staff will manage the facility and Petschenig aims to help finance the project with donations from businesses and the public, along with government grants. Next Thursday, the seventh anniversary of his father's death, Petschenig will officially launch the fundraising campaign on his website, aheartlikemine.ca, accompanied by a documentary on his story.
In Oshawa, the Generals and the Green Gaels, the lacrosse organization where Petschenig serves as a volunteer coach, are behind the project. Once the house in Oshawa is up and running, there are plans to establish another one in Ottawa.
Petschenig is following the model of Erin's House for Grieving Children in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he volunteered while playing for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets.
“There are misconceptions,” Petschenig says of the reactions to death. “Kids go through different phases. Maybe they laugh or joke about it, and people can take that the wrong way.
“A lot of people ask me about my grieving process, but it never ends. My Dad was my best friend. When I was 14 to 18, those were the best memories I have of him. I feel like, as a professional hockey player, I can be a role model and to carry on my Dad's legacy.”