From Grief to Growth: Storytelling as a Tool for Healing February 26, 2025
On a chilly afternoon, authors Debbie Frisch and Veronica (Vee) Harrison sat in a circle of desks in a classroom at Columbia College in Chicago, Harrison’s alma mater as part of her Hello Healing book tour. They gathered with students in Professor Suzanne McBride’s class, Storytelling Through Grief. This course explores how people use storytelling to process grief. Students work to create narratives around different types of loss, gaining insight into the role of these stories in making sense of life. It seemed a perfect fit for authors Frisch and Harrison to share their powerful stories of resilience and community impact, as detailed in their respective books, “Hello Baby: Building an Oasis in a Play Desert” and “Hood Healing.” “Debbie (Frisch) and I discussed the grief we both share, from completely different backgrounds… and how life brought us together,” said Harrison.
“Hello Baby: Building an Oasis in a Play Desert” by Debbie Frisch and Isaac Stone Simonelli
“Hello Baby: Building an Oasis in a Play Desert” chronicles the inspiring journey of Debbie Frisch, who transformed her challenging childhood into a mission to support foster children. Frisch founded HelloBaby, the nation’s first free-standing, free-of-charge, drop-in play space for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers. Located in a former “play desert” on Chicago’s south side, HelloBaby provides a safe and nurturing environment for children and their families. The book details Frisch’s efforts to garner support from local businesses and community leaders, highlighting the significant impact HelloBaby has had on the community. It also addresses critical themes such as systemic racism and the importance of play in child development.
Reflecting on her journey, Frisch shared, “I think my purpose is to provide safe, joyful spaces. I did it for my own two kids, not a perfect mom, but I did the best I could. I did it for the foster kids in my care and I’m doing it now at Hello Baby.”
“Hood Healing” by Vee L. Harrison
In “Hood Healing,” Vee L. Harrison delves into the generational trauma affecting Black communities in Chicago’s inner city. Through personal stories and interviews with local journalists and media influencers, Harrison explores the deep-rooted impacts of systemic issues like post-slavery effects, redlining, and the lack of mental health resources. She shares her own experiences growing up on the West Side of Chicago and her transformative journey of healing from trauma. The book emphasizes the importance of empathy and accurate representation in journalism, encouraging young people to confront and heal their own traumas.
“The only thing that annoyed me is that we were constantly told to be objective.” said Harrison on her journalism studies. “The story isn’t about you. The story is about your source. You’re writing to appeal to the public. It’s not your opinion. It’s what your source is saying. Quote this, attribute this. And oh my gosh, I was full of stories. I needed to let it out. Really, what “Hood Healing” did was let things out, about my brother, and my life, and things around me.”
During the class, Frisch and Harrison discussed how their grief and personal experiences shaped their missions and careers. “My wound, in a strange way, became my gift. Because I don’t think I would have the capacity or the understanding or the compassion to do this if I hadn’t gone through what I did,” said Frisch.
Harrison followed, “I really think that it’s a universal language that we all just feel at the same time in different ways. We grieve not just people, but things, places, relationships. I think that it changed us in very different ways. What you grieve and how it created your career and your life’s work and your mission. And I think my grief changed me… but grief is grief, right?”
Both “Hello Baby: Building an Oasis in a Play Desert” and “Hood Healing” offer compelling narratives on overcoming adversity and the power of community support and healing. These books provide valuable insights into creating nurturing environments for children and addressing systemic issues that impact marginalized communities. Through their stories, Frisch and Harrison inspire readers to make a positive difference in their own communities. The speaking engagement at Columbia College provided a unique opportunity for students to connect with the authors and gain a deeper understanding of how storytelling can be a powerful tool for processing grief and fostering community resilience. Frisch and Harrison’s experiences and insights left a lasting impact on the students who offered questions and shared their own, sometimes deeply, personal experiences with grief. The event highlighted the importance of exploring personal narratives and the potential for storytelling to contribute to community well-being.
– Amanda Freeman
Marketing Manager, HelloBaby