VALDOSTA — Christoper Ryan Carter, II was shopping for his dad’s birthday gift on Nov. 23, 2021, when he collapsed in Old Navy.

Before that day, Ryan was a happy 24-year-old who had started his career as a social worker at Tift County High School.

He was a graduate of Valdosta High School class of 2015, received his bachelor’s degree from Savannah State University in 2019, and master’s degree from Clark Atlanta University in 2021.

Janet Carter, his mother, said she was initially in denial at the passing of her son.

“We were told that he had passed away from cardiac arrest,” she said. “I was in such shock and disbelief the whole way there.”

Carter was on her way to Athens to pick up her daughter, Caitlyn, attending the University of Georgia. While, Christoper, her husband, was dealing with the loss of their son back home.

Over the last year, Carter has been on the journey to healing with the help of a parent support group, Helping Parents Heal.

Helping Parents Heal was founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Boisson after the lose of Morgan, who transitioned at the Base Camp of Mount Everest in Tibet while on a university exchange program when he was 20 years old.

Carter joined this group with hopes to connect with her son in a new way and be on the journey to healing.

She said, “When you lose a child so many people share with you how they understand but no one truly understands what it is like to bury a child unless they have experienced it.”

“Being able to converse with other parents who have similar experiences and learning new methods to communicate with my son in the after life have supported my healing,” Carter said.

Helping Parents Heal is a spiritual group which includes sessions on meditation, sound healing and more.

“I always believed in the after life but now being able to be able to connect with my son is a life saver,” Carter said. “I feel like Ryan is always with me, he sends me signs all the time.”

She said, “I am not completely healed but I am better than I was. I know God is on my side and this group has supported me through after life, Ryan is still with us.”

She said the group sessions focus on “sharing the journey from bereaved to shining light parent.”

Now, Carter has started her own chapter of Helping Parents Heal in Valdosta to help support parents who have experienced the loss of their child.

She said, “I want people to know that through the support and resources provided by the group it will inspire them to be a ‘shining light’ parent.”

Currently, Helping Parents Heal has over 25,000 members across the world and Carter’s group now has 11 members.

“It doesn’t matter how many I have, I want to reach anyone and everyone who experiences grief from the loss of their child. Though I don’t want anyone to experience this, I understand there are many of us.”

She said that her next goals are to establish a chapter for grieving siblings and dads.

“Dad’s are able to join the parents group but I understand those who would like to share grief with another man,” Carter said.

A Helping Parents Heal Valdosta meet and greet will be held virtually on Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. Following meetings will be held monthly with guest speakers and sessions.

To learn more email valdostahelpingparentheal@gmail.com or visit Facebook at Helping Parents Heal Valdosta.