Comfort Dogs, Counselors Help Cossitt Elementary Schoolers Cope With Loss of Classmate

Staff at Cossitt Elementary School in La Grange knew they'd face a unique challenge on their first day back to school Monday: helping 10-year-olds grapple with the loss of their friend.

Delaney O'Connell, who died in a skiing accident in Michigan over the school's winter break, was a student at Cossitt. The school's principal, Michael Michowski, said he was bringing in district counselors and psychologists for the first day back. Outside visitors weren't necessarily encouraged.

Michowski said open conversations and time were the key factors to helping Delaney's friends heal, but they got an extra bit of help Monday from the Parent-Teacher Council and some furry friends.

In addition to the handful of counselors who were on call Monday, the PTC provided water and tissues for classrooms and lunch for the entire staff, Stephanie Fordice, District 102's communications coordinator, said.

Comfort dogs and their handlers were also welcomed into classrooms to help students cope with their grief.

Clare McDivit Mark, who was Delaney's teacher at Cossitt, commented on a Facebook photo of the dogs.

"They helped my class feel so very loved today," she wrote. "It helped with our loss of sweet Delaney."

Others were just as grateful for the presence of the dogs — named Tobias, Susie, Angel, Jeremiah and Eve — writing similar notes. The thread on the photo is 36 comments long, all of them expressing gratitude toward the dogs, their handlers and school community for helping children deal with the loss of Delaney.

"My daughter has said very little about how her school day went today, except to talk at length about your dogs," one parent wrote. "They made today a little easier for her."

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Photos courtesy of District 102/Facebook