(Camden) - A new Midlands support group is available for parents who have had a child die.
Camden resident Cheryl Jones started a local chapter of Compassionate Friends after she found the community was lacking a support system.
Jones son Brandon died in 2003 after being hit by a drunk driver.
"It was really just a sense of disbelief," she said. "I was really in a daze."
Even as time passed, Jones said her pain did not. While she found solace in a Darlington, South Carolina support group, she said the 110-mile round-trip replaced one stress with another.
"Getting lost, having panic attacks, feeling so alone," Jones said about the monthly drive she would make to Darlington.
Because of that, Jones decided to start a chapter of the group for Midlands families.
The group met for the first time Thursday evening. In the future, meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month at the First Baptist Church in Camden. The group will gather in Room 165 of the East Building.
"I realized a need in our community," Jones said. "This is our chapter. I'm only here to make sure the meetings happen."