DANBURY — An area mom killing her three youngsters earlier than taking her personal life has shaken the group previously week and is elevating consciousness to a possible “stigma” round psychological well being therapy within the immigrant group.
Danbury police mentioned Sonia Loja, 36, killed her three youngsters July 27 earlier than killing herself. The Workplace of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the youngsters — Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5 — died by strangulation and Loja died by hanging.
At a vigil at his dwelling Saturday, Pedro Panjon mentioned his spouse was distraught over the lack of revenue after she was ordered in June to shut her unlicensed day care enterprise. Panjon mentioned his spouse was unable to get a day care license as a result of the household is undocumented.
Danbury resident Emanuela Palmares, an activist within the immigrant group and vice chairman of the nonprofit New American Dream Basis, mentioned the tragedy underscores the necessity to increase consciousness to the psychological well being therapy assets obtainable locally.
“On the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what occasions led Sonia to take the tragic motion that she did, it’s truthful to say that she was not at her optimum psychological well being. And that’s actually what we must be speaking about — how will we someway work collectively to forestall this from taking place the subsequent time round?” mentioned Palmares, who got here to the U.S. from Brazil on the age of 10.
Within the immigrant group, Palmares mentioned, there’s a “stigma” when asking for assist.
“We have to discuss extra about psychological well being within the Latino group and immigrant group,” Palmares mentioned. “There’s an actual disaster occurring.”
The group must “overtly discuss extra about psychological well being and perceive that if you’re an immigrant and also you’re uninsured, the challenges you could have are insurmountable in comparison with somebody who shouldn’t be an immigrant and absolutely insured,” she mentioned.
Getting assist
The Connecticut Institute for Communities in Danbury is among the many psychological well being assets obtainable for undocumented individuals. The federally certified well being middle accepts all sufferers, no matter their capability to pay or their insurance coverage standing.
The ability, which serves the better Danbury space, gives medical, household dentistry, ladies’s well being and behavioral well being companies, in addition to many wrap-around assist companies resembling diet counseling, monetary help and translation help.
Marlene Moranino, chief program officer, mentioned sufferers who’re in disaster are referred to Nuvance Disaster Intervention and their cellular psychiatric emergency companies for fast analysis and intervention.
Behavioral well being companies are additionally supplied in all school-based well being facilities in Danbury, Newtown and New Milford, the place college students will be referred instantly for companies.
Moranino mentioned about 50 p.c of CIFC sufferers are served in a language apart from English, with Spanish and Portuguese as the 2 most requested languages.
“We’ve bilingual suppliers and translation companies to make sure we meet the requests,” she mentioned.
Neighborhood in mourning
For the reason that deaths, group members have been gathering on the household’s Whaley Road dwelling the place a memorial continues to develop. The deaths have been significantly felt at St. Peter Catholic Church the place two of the older Panjon youngsters attended faith courses.
Rev. Gregg Mecca, pastor at St. Peter Catholic Church, mentioned the parish household is “heartbroken that the lives of three of our kids have been minimize quick. We’re mourning that they won’t expertise extra of the gorgeous reward, which life is.”
The church knew Junior and Jocelyn Panjon to be “pretty youngsters — respectful and good college students. Pedro, the daddy, was supportive of their non secular formation,” Mecca mentioned.
“Pedro’s life is shattered, and there are not any phrases, no gestures that may restore it,” Mecca mentioned. “As individuals of religion, we’re assured that Junior, Jocelyn, Jonael and Sonia are within the presence of God the place there isn’t a disappointment. We’re praying for Pedro that God who alone can heal the human coronary heart sustains him in his grief and misery.”
The funeral for the 4 relations is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Peter Catholic Church in Danbury. Visitation will happen within the church from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
St. Peter Catholic Church has arrange a funeral fund for the household. Contributions will be made on the church’s web site.