FOREST PARK, Ohio — No parent should have to endure the pain of losing a child, but for some, that pain is a reality.
That’s the story for parents in the group A Mother’s Voice, who have all lost a child to gun violence.
Rochelle Wood founded the group after losing her son, Josiah, to gun violence in 2021.
“Nobody wants to be a part of this club, but we’re here,” Wood said.
Wood said she started the group to help mothers like her bond and heal together.
“In spite of our pain, we laugh, we move, we cry, but it brings healing,” Wood said.
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Whether through music, dancing or sharing stories, Wood said it’s about trying to stay positive.
The group met Saturday at the Wilderness Worship Center in Forest Park.
Trina Turner said her son, Mykel, was killed in 2018.
“We need this,” Turner said. “I don’t know what I would have done without this group.”
Turner said A Mother’s Voice gives her and many other mothers a chance to keep their children’s memories alive.
“We are a family,” Turner said.
Wood said the group also works to advocate for solutions to gun violence through dialogue with the community.
Still, she said the answer is challenging to find.
“No child deserves this gun violence,” Wood said. “This is getting out of control.”
Wood said she encourages any parent wishing to join the group to reach out.
“It’s a safe space, because we can all relate,” Wood said.
She said the group will continue to lean on each other with the message that better days are coming.
“While we’re still here, there is hope,” Wood said.
