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MAY 8, 2024 Vol. 43, No. 10
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NONPROFIT HELPS PARENTS PROCESS GRIEF BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — Roslyn Grafstein, the mayor of Madison Heights, has announced she is running for a four-year term on the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. She will be competing as a Democrat in the Aug. 6 primary election with Ann Erickson Gault, D-Troy, who was appointed by the board to fill the vacancy left by the late Gary McGillivray in District 3, which includes Madison Heights, Hazel Park and parts of Troy. McGillivray died on Nov. 3, 2023, and Gault took office on Nov. 16.
MADISON HEIGHTS — The saying goes that no parent should have to bury their own child. Diane Lees, of Madison Heights, has done it twice — first losing a baby born prematurely, and then an adult son. Each loss was devastating, but Lees and her husband found a lifeline in Helping Parents Heal, a national nonprofit with local affiliates focused on grief counseling. The support group leans into spirituality but does not associate with any organized religion. People of all faiths, or lack thereof, are welcome without judgment. “My husband and I went from having no knowledge of the afterlife and spirituality — not in any religious sense — to believing and trusting when presented with evidence that our children, and all of our loved ones, have transitioned to another plane of existence where we will meet again when it’s our time to cross over,” Lees said. “I no longer fear death, and I’ve received much comfort knowing my children are OK on the other side. The evidence is there if you choose to open your mind to it.” In Michigan, there are only three locations that serve HPH members at
See BOARD on page 14A
See GRIEF on page 8A
MACLEAN FILES AS REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GENERAL ELECTION BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Diane and Larry Lees, of Madison Heights, with a portrait of their late son, Larry. The piano belonged to their son, who was an accomplished musician. Diane leads the Madison Heights affiliate for the nonprofit Helping Parents Heal, a group that has helped them navigate their grief.
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Grafstein to face Gault in Democratic primary for county board