Grieving Mothers Turn To Each Other To Find Strength, Community

In metro Atlanta, some bereaved mothers turn to each other to find support and community in the wake of their loss. They lean on each other on Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries. But also in all the ordinary moments when the grief is heavy.

: Illustration by Laura Mitchell

Patti Phillips remembers feeling like she had lost her purpose.

After six years of pouring everything she had into caring for her youngest daughter Stephanie, the quiet, 18-year-old softball star died from the bone cancer she’d been fighting.

But the first Thursday of every month, Phillips finds a renewed sense of purpose.