CMS Offers Grief Counseling After Deadly Crash Kills Student

CHARLOTTE – Students at Providence High School continue to grieve the loss of their classmate Ella Lukse. She was killed in a crash on Sunday.

Gia Lukse is just 11 years old, but carries more strength than most adults after losing her only sister in the crash. She and her friends gathered at this memorial at the crash site Wednesday.

“She was just a good big sister she was always there for me,” said Gia. “She came with me on the first day of school she brought me flowers and a drink.”

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District is working closely with Providence High School and their crisis response team to help students and staff. Jessica Jacobs is the crisis prevention and and response coordinator for CMS.

“Based on the numbers, unfortunately most of our students by the age of 16 will have experienced a significant loss in their life.”

She tells me that grief varies depending on kids’ ages.

“For example we may have high school students who tend to withdrawal and seek out unhealthy coping skills.”

The district uses preventative methods to figure out who needs what type of support. Jacobs tells me they have at every school a crisis lead for every school in CMS,  which could be a specially trained counselor, psychologist, or social workers. Providence High has nine of these workers  ready to help grieving students.

“More than half of our employees are already trained,” says Jacob. “Any one employed last year has to complete the certification by the end of this year.”

Being alone is one of the hardest parts of grief, but Gia is surrounding herself with friends and family to remember her sister.

“The first day she was gone I knocked on her door, and she just didn’t answer,” said Gia through tears. “I cant give her a goodnight hug or a goodnight kiss, and it’s so hard, but I know I have all these amazing girls to help me.”