When Salma reflects on what brings her joy, it’s the simple, meaningful moments with her family–watching her favorite childhood TV shows and movies with her siblings and spending quiet time at the library or lost in a book. But behind her calm demeanor and routine lies a story marked by unimaginable pain.
Salma’s world was overturned when her father, Julio, was fatally attacked during what was supposed to be a joyful family vacation. The sudden violence of his death, and the long legal aftermath that followed, left her reeling. “Coming back home without my father was incomprehensible,” she recalls. “What was meant to be reconnecting with loved ones became the worst trip of our lives.” The grief didn’t just belong to her–it settled heavily over her mother and younger siblings, making the return to daily life feel impossible. In the midst of their pain, Salma’s mother and two youngest siblings began attending sessions at The WARM Place. Hearing how much those sessions helped sparked something in Salma. She wanted to understand how others navigated the same kind of loss and decided to join the Young Adults group. “I didn’t know anyone my age who had lost a parent–I felt so isolated.”
Walking into The WARM Place for the first time, Salma was filled with anxiety and hope. “I was desperate to connect with people who knew what living with grief is–people I didn’t have to tiptoe around.” In the Young Adults group, she found exactly that: honest conversations, shared understanding, and a sense of belonging. “It was liberating. I didn’t have to soften my words for the sake of others. We could all relate, offer real advice, and be fully ourselves.”
The impact has stayed with her. “This space became a lifeline. It reminded me how loss connects us, how healing happens in community. And it helped me rediscover joy, even when that joy feels bittersweet.” To other young adults who have experienced a loss, Salma offers gentle encouragement. “Nothing prepares you for this. But hearing from others who’ve walked a similar path can break you out of that loneliness. If you’re hesitant about The WARM Place, just try it. It’s a space to grow, to grieve, and to keep living.”
