Grief & Suffering Resources for Parents

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated June 17, 2025
Learning that your child is blind or has a visual impairment can bring on a wave of emotions—grief, sadness, confusion, fear, guilt, or even anger. It’s natural to mourn the expectations you may have had for your child’s life and to feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the future. Everyone copes with this news in their own way. Some find strength in their faith, others in family or community support, and many in connecting with other parents on a similar journey. What’s important is giving yourself permission to feel, to process, and to find support as you adjust to this new reality. You are not alone, and you are not without help.
​🧡 Would You Like to Share?
If you’ve found a book, article, or other resource that helped you process your own grief or emotions, I’d love to hear from you. Your recommendations may bring comfort and support to another parent navigating a similar path.
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Online Resource

FamilyConnect.org (by the American Printing House for the Blind)
FamilyConnect offers helpful advice and emotional support for parents navigating a child’s vision loss. Topics include:
  • Processing the diagnosis
  • How and when to talk to family and friends
  • Strengthening family relationships
  • Managing attention between siblings
  • Responding to public reactions
  • Understanding sibling perspectives (especially when the visually impaired child is an older or younger sibling)

Books on Grief, Faith, and Suffering

These titles offer comfort and perspective for parents facing life-altering news. Many are written from a Christian perspective and address the spiritual and emotional struggles that can accompany suffering.

Christian Perspectives

  • A Bend In The Road: Experiencing God When Your World Caves. David Jeremiah. Offers a message of comfort and hope drawn from the Psalms and real-life stories. Jeremiah explores how we can experience God's presence during life’s lowest points.
  • Finding God When You Need Him Most. Chip Ingram. A comforting reminder of God’s nearness in times of hardship. Ingram explores the Psalms to show how God meets us in our greatest needs.
  • Overcoming Emotions That Destroy: Practical Help for Those Angry Feeling That Ruin Relationships. Chip Ingram & Dr. Becca Johnson. Explores the roots and responses to anger and other painful emotions. The book helps readers identify their emotional patterns and learn healthier ways to respond—useful for anyone struggling with the anger or grief that can accompany a diagnosis.
  • The Blessings of Brokenness: Why God Allows Us to Go Through Hard Times. Charles Stanley. A heartfelt message about how God uses pain to shape us. Stanley walks readers through biblical wisdom for navigating life’s deepest wounds and discovering wholeness.
  • Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. Timothy Keller. A thoughtful exploration of suffering from a theological and personal perspective. Keller presents a balanced and compassionate Christian framework for facing pain, grief, and unanswered questions.
  • When God Doesn't Make Sense. James C. Dobson. A reassuring guide for those who are facing confusing or painful circumstances and seeking God’s presence. Dobson writes from decades of counseling experience to help believers navigate emotional storms without losing faith.
  • Where Is God When It Hurts? Philip Yancey. One of the most influential books on Christian grief and suffering. Yancey examines how God meets us in pain, why suffering exists, and how we can find hope even when life doesn’t make sense.

Universal & Secular Perspectives