March: Healing the Grandparents

Grandparents are often directly impacted by an abortion loss, but rarely given consideration when we look at the complicated grief after abortion.

- They may have convinced their son or daughter that this was the best course of action and/or threatened rejection and abandonment if their daughter continued with the pregnancy. 

- They may have tried but were unable to prevent the death of their grandchild (a traumatic loss) or only learned of the abortion after the event.
 

Grandparents need to hear a confirmation that they suffered the loss of a grandchild and, depending on their role in the event, may have some unresolved feelings of grief, guilt, and anger from this loss. Family secrets and these unspoken and powerful emotions can wreak havoc on family life. If the abortion of their grandchild(ren) was experienced as a traumatic loss they may suffer depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, addiction and other common symptoms of trauma.

While this is an event in the past, sometimes the distant past, it can be very much impacting their lives, their health and family relationships in the present as well as their relationship with God and the church. In the Shockwaves Campaign grandparents of aborted children will learn about healing programs like Rachel’s Vineyard where they are welcome to come and grieve and heal of this loss, as a family if possible, and resolve the conflicts that still exist in their relationships with their daughter or son who had the abortion.