A Bexley woman turned the sudden loss of an infant daughter 20 years ago into a program to help others deal with similar situations, 10TV's Tracy Townsend reported Thursday.
Holly Kastan said that she lost her daughter to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and struggled with the loss until she found help.
"It took me a while to find help, and I did try," Kastan said.
Kastan said that few mental health experts understood trauma and how to treat it 20 years ago.
As she recovered, Kastan attended graduate school to research how people survive trauma.
"Many people suffer terribly, and they suffer alone," Kastan said.
Four years ago, Kastan teamed up with doctors from The Ohio State University Medical Center to found the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program, Townsend reported.
So far, the program has helped a number of people, including Upper Arlington star rower Blake Haxton, who lost his legs to an abrupt illness.
STAR also has helped health care workers, too, in what Kastan calls secondary trauma, 10TV News reported.
Steve Steinberg, Haxton's surgeon at The Ohio State University Medical Center, said the stress can build.
"The stress of dealing with those patients and the families day in and day out (adds) up," Steinberg said. "Mostly we just suck it up and go on."
Kastan said she and the doctors have found a way to help with the STAR Program.
"We do believe that we are charting new ground," Kastan said.
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STAR Program Helps Others Deal With Loss
A mother and Ohio State doctors design a program to help those dealing with mental trauma. Get the story.