Waukesha Christmas parade Children's WI helpline served 90 families
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Just three weeks ago, a Christmas parade route became a crime scene. So much has happened since then, but there are scars both visible and invisible that will remain with the Waukesha community for a long time.
Children's Wisconsin helped families take care of their mental health after the attack in Waukesha.
On a Sunday night in Waukesha, a space reserved for joy and unity was attacked in just seconds.
"We've gone through COVID, and now, all of a sudden, we are wanting to celebrate the holiday season," said Tammy Makhlouf.
Memorial for parade attack victims at Waukesha's Veterans Park
Makhlouf says that level of surprise combined with the fact this was a family event for kids of all ages has made it so challenging to comprehend.
"All of these families go to this parade, and then this horrific thing happened," said Makhlouf.
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Makhlouf manages mental and behavioral health at Children's Wisconsin. She led the effort to staff a mental health helpline for families suddenly experiencing a traumatic event.
"I just think it's important because I think that there's so much going on in kids' lives right now that we really need to support them and help them," said Makhlouf.
Waukesha parade attack victims identified
Ninety families called for help. Makhlouf said some were just looking for guidance on how to talk to their kids, while others needed more immediate support, struggling to process what happened.
"Kids had witnessed what had happened," said Makhlouf. "If they didn't witness it, they know somebody that has."
Three weeks later, the Veterans Park memorial continues to be a place of healing, a place where this community can grieve and process what happened here.
"There's no way to rationalize it, but taking the time to acknowledge it and not just let it get swept away is really important," said Deklan O'Connor of Waukesha.
The helpline created for this event is no longer active, but Makhlouf encourages any family to ask for help if needed.
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