LUDLOW — At the end of September, Ludlow’s Exit 7 Players will be performing Brian Yorkey’s “Next to Normal,” a musical that focuses on infant loss, mental health and family, in partnership with community organization Empty Arms Bereavement.
The musical’s “masterfully crafted storyline” utilizes powerful music and actors to tell the story of a family after the loss of a child, demonstrating the value of family and community in healing from this loss, Empty Arms Director and founder Carol McMurrich told Reminder Publishing.
“‘Next to Normal’ is the story of Diana Goodman and her family. Traumatized by the death of her infant son from an undiagnosed intestinal obstruction, Diana has lived with bipolar depressive disorder and delusional episodes for the past 17 years. The illness has affected everyone in her life, and has nearly torn her family apart on several occasions,” the Exit 7 Players stated.
Performed at the Exit 7 Theater at 37 Chestnut St., the musical will open on Sept. 27 and run through Oct. 13 with performances on certain Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, according to the Exit 7 Players.
Its production is in partnership with Florence-based nonprofit Empty Arms Bereavement, which offers community and support services to individuals and families who have experienced infant loss, miscarriage, stillbirth or a medical termination, McMurrich said.
She explained that Empty Arms provides support to Massachusetts through three main ways: in-hospital services, support groups and training for healthcare professionals. All services are provided free of cost and most support groups are available on a drop-in basis.
For in-hospital support, Empty Arms offers on-call counselors for families “at the time of the loss,” McMurrich stated. Available in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, the organization works with hospitals to support families experiencing the loss of their baby before or during birth, as well as in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Empty Arms also organizes multiple support groups for individuals and families in need. The available support groups include the Stillbirth and Infant Loss Support Group, Termination for Medical Reasons Support Group, Expecting your Next Baby Support Group and Infertility and Loss Support Group, as stated by Empty Arms.
“When you lose a baby, the baby is only the tip of the iceberg. Then you have to live the rest of your life without this baby,” McMurrich said, emphasizing that support to the extended family in addition to the parents was an important part of healing after a loss.
When an individual reaches out to Empty Arms for support, the organization presents a “menu of offerings” and works with the individual to make suggestions on services based on how to best “meet them where they are at,” McMurrich stated.
In addition to providing support materials to parents, Empty Arms will also share materials with their extended community, such as grandparents, uncles, aunts and friends who are unsure of how to support the parents. “We look at the family perspective,” McMurrich said, highlighting that the loss of a child impacts everyone who was expecting the child.
“We always tell people that they will have to help for a long time,” she said, emphasizing that the loss of a child was a hole that is “not really ever filled” even when parents can find joy in other parts of their lives. “It’s not a grief that people overcome.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic, all of Empty Arms’ support groups are offered online through Zoom. In-person community events are also sponsored on a quarterly basis. Through these support groups and events, Empty Arms encourages individuals to find friendships in addition to comfort and community, McMurrich said.
“The most satisfying thing is that people do make friendships [at the support groups],” she stated, noting that members often remain connected with each other and the organization even after no longer attending meetings. “The goal is to create a community around pregnancy loss.”
The third component of Empty Arms’ work is through offering training to healthcare workers around how to best support families experiencing loss at the hospital. “Most health care workers do not receive training [on how to support families after the loss of a child],” McMurrich explained, noting that workers often want to help families but do not know what to say or do.
Annually, the organization supports approximately 50-60 families through in-hospital care and 400 individuals through support groups, McMurrich said. Participants can also use Empty Arms’ services at any time, whether before a baby is born or years after experiencing the loss.
While Empty Arms Bereavement is currently located in Western Massachusetts at 140 Pine St., Room 2B, in Florence, the organization is looking to expand to other centers in eastern and central Massachusetts in order to provide greater access to in-person meetings, McMurrich said.
For more information about Empty Arms Bereavement and its services, visit emptyarmsbereavement.org. A contact form is available on the website for families or individuals interested in services. Empty Arms can also be reached by phone at 413-570-0811, McMurrich said.
Empty Arms and its services are supported entirely through donations, McMurrich stated. Residents interested in donating or volunteering can visit the Donate tab on the Empty Arms Bereavement website.
Tickets for “Next to Normal” can be purchased prior to the performance online at exit7players.org/buy-tickets/ or at the box office at the day of the show. Visit the Exit 7 Players website for additional details on ticket prices and seating. Masks are optional in the theater.
