Megan's Story

When Bonnie reached out to Wings for Widows, she was drowning in grief that most people couldn't fathom. The Alabama widow in her 60s had endured a heartbreaking cascade of losses—first her oldest son to a heart attack, then her mother who had lived with her and her husband, and finally, just six weeks after her mother's passing, her husband died unexpectedly. Within months, the three people closest to her were gone.

"Her oldest son died from a heart attack a year before," recalls her coach, Megan Kopka. "Then her mother, who lived with her and her husband, then about six weeks after her mom died, her husband died unexpectedly. Bonnie had a lot of grief about this. Including pursuing reporting ill care for her mother she believed to hasten her death and a workman compensation claim for her husband.

"The weight of compounded grief left Bonnie overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. She faced a daunting maze of practical challenges: settling two estates simultaneously, navigating a nightmare insurance claim for a totaled car, and understanding how to manage cashflow when her budget was stretched impossibly thin. She struggled to prioritize which urgent task to tackle first, paralyzed by the sheer volume of decisions demanding her attention.

Over more than ten coaching sessions, Megan worked patiently with Bonnie through each challenge. Together, they untangled the complex process of settling her mother's estate and claiming the life insurance benefit from her mother's policy. They fought through the frustrating process of filing a claim with USAA for the totaled car. Most importantly, Megan helped Bonnie understand her financial reality—showing her how rental income from her son, combined with careful budgeting, meant she could make ends meet.

The work was painstaking, requiring Bonnie to face painful reminders of her losses with every document signed and every phone call made. But gradually, something shifted. The breakthrough came after the holidays in2024—a challenging time when Bonnie's losses felt most acute. Working through those dark days with Megan's steady support, Bonnie began to see a path forward.

"Thank you for the bits of your life and experience you shared with me," Bonnie told Megan. "I felt seen and heard, and I know you had been through similar experiences with grief. Thank you for the list and helping me get the scariest and most pressing things sorted out first."

What had been a confidence level of just 1 out of 10 grew toa 7. Bonnie gained clarity on her finances, made important decisions about both estates, developed concrete next steps, and connected with the resources and professionals she needed. Most importantly, her overwhelming anxiety diminished as she discovered she wasn't facing an impossible situation—she had a workable plan.

"Watching Bonnie grow in confidence was the most rewarding experience," Megan reflects. "Seeing her smile warmed my heart."

Today, Bonnie has adult children for support and continues moving forward, managing the practical realities of widowhood while processing layers of grief. What once felt impossible—prioritizing tasks, understanding finances, settling complex estates—now feels manageable. Through patient coaching and genuine connection, Bonnie found not just practical solutions, but the confidence to face her new reality. In her darkest hour, Wings for Widows helped her see the light.