United by unimaginable loss, mothers turn their pain into purpose

On Mother’s Day, three mothers from Rochester, N.Y., who have endured the heartbreaking loss of their sons to murder, shared their stories of grief and their efforts to find purpose in their pain. Sirena Cotton, who lost her son Christopher in 2007, turned her sorrow into activism by founding ROC the Peace, an anti-violence organization that engages young people and supports mothers experiencing similar losses. Sonje Andrews, whose son Javon Sampson was killed in 2022, draws strength from her faith and family as she copes with her loss. Regina McFadden, who has lost two sons to violence, one to a drug-laced with fentanyl and the other to a murder he was not the target of, expresses a desperate plea for parental responsibility in preventing youth violence. These mothers, united by their unimaginable losses, channel their grief into efforts that aim to prevent further violence and support those who have been similarly afflicted.

Source: WHEC