One Broken Mom Hosted by Ameé Quiriconi

1.4 - Henry's Story & The Mom Left Behind

June 21, 2018 Amee Quiriconi Season 1 Episode 4
One Broken Mom Hosted by Ameé Quiriconi
1.4 - Henry's Story & The Mom Left Behind
Show Notes

Henry's disappearance in December of 2017 struck a chord throughout the community of Snohomish, Washington and brought thousands together to search for him. 

When his body was found in the Snohomish River in late January, the unimaginable was confirmed - Henry had killed himself.

Henry Groeneveld was a soft-spoken beloved man who had been a dedicated rural postal carrier for decades. He had never shown any signs of depression or suicidal thoughts. He was an active member of the community and a familiar face to many. But after an incident at the post office with his supervisor left particularly rattled and upset, Henry came home that morning briefly and then walked out of the door, leaving his personal items behind on the kitchen table and was gone. 

In this interview with his daughter, Liz Dickson, we learn more about this man and how the experience changed her in profound ways.  The history of Henry's life is telling in many ways in terms of understanding the "why" but what is also important, is hearing how a stay-at-home mom with three children of her own, had to shift gears for two months in order to hold vigil over the search of her father. And what she has done after to heal the trauma for herself and her kids after dealing with such a devastating situation and loss. 

We also discuss how hard it is to get media coverage and law enforcement support for suspected suicide victims.  Today, Liz administers a Facebook group called Letters for Henry that reminds people of Henry's legacy of kindness for everyone and how important it is to reach out to people around us and check in on their well-being.