A yearly report recently released by the Arizona Child Fatality Review Program showed an increase in child deaths in 2021.

According to the report, 863 children in the state died last year. Firearm injuries and vehicle crashes were some of the leading causes of death.

One Valley nonprofit is trying to ease the financial burden for parents who suffer a loss and also help with grief therapy.

Kamisha Allen started The HP Foundation which stands for the Healing Process after losing her own child when he was 21.

Facing a financial burden due to a loophole in her life insurance policy, she did not receive a death benefit—making the cost for his end of life ceremony burdensome.  

“At the time when my son passed away, he was 21. It was the summer months so he wasn’t registered for school yet, and that was one of the loopholes in the life insurance policy through my job,” she said. “If they were over the age of 18, they had to be registered for college.”

Allen said that created an awareness that others may be suffering similar circumstances and decided to turn part of her own grief into assisting others with the cost of burial services and access to professional grief therapy.

“After that, I found that there was a need to assist parents who did not have life insurance with helping to cover some of the costs of burial expenses because we already understand that they’re stressed out enough after losing their child,” she said.  

In its infancy, the foundation is currently based in central Phoenix and also offers assistance for professional grief therapy.