Coastal Community Christian Church will present a grief and trauma discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at the church. Gina Roes, a mental health counselor with LifeChange Christian Counseling in Savannah, will lead the discussion. She has extensive experience in helping individuals cope with the aftermath of tragedy, including counseling people in New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The discussion was scheduled to help the community process their emotions following the Feb. 14 automobile accident involving two members of the church’s youth group. Eric and Promise Costello were returning to the church from a restaurant across the street when they were struck by a car. They were taken to Memorial University Medical Center. Many of the other teens in the youth group witnessed the accident or were on the scene just seconds later.
"Our youth were traumatized by this terrible accident and we know many of Eric and Promise’s friends are hurting, as well," said Mark Snavely, senior minister at Coastal Community Christian Church. "Through this discussion, we hope Gina can help us all understand what we are experiencing and learn how to cope with those emotions."
The discussion is free and open to the public. Coastal Community Christian Church is located at 10770 Ford Ave. (Highway 144), about one mile east of Highway 17. For more information, call the church at 912-756-3455.
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Schoolmates and church members are rallying for twin teenagers hospitalized after one was hit by a car Sunday evening.
The twins, identified by various sources as Eric and Promise Costello, were injured while crossing Hwy. 144 in Richmond Hill, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
A Facebook page has been started online by Richmond Hill Middle School students. The church the twins attend has brought in a mental health counselor to lead a discussion of grief and trauma tonight at 7 p.m.
According to a representative of Coastal Community Christian Church, the 13-year-old twins had just left Mr. Pizza with several other members of the Coastal Community Church youth group shortly after 7 p.m. and were crossing the street on their way back to the church.
Witnesses told the GSP a vehicle struck the girl, who was knocked into her brother. The girl was on a cell phone at the time of impact, the GSP said.