A year ago, The Tribune shared the heartfelt story of Bridgit Bagley, a mother from Winslow who tragically lost her son, Army Staff Sergeant Preston Hancock, in a vehicle collision. Preston was just 28 years old when a driver crossed the median into his lane, causing a head-on collision that took his life. To cope with her overwhelming grief, Bagley began creating charms in Preston’s memory—laminated cards with his name and face, attached to beads and a key ring. What started as a personal way to keep her son’s memory alive soon grew into something much larger.
These charms, which were initially shared with close friends and family, began to travel across the country and eventually around the world. As people found the charms, they would email Bagley, sharing their own stories of grief and how the charm touched their lives. This simple act of remembrance connected strangers in their shared experience of loss and helped build a community of support around Preston’s memory.
Now, a year later, Bagley has reached another milestone in her journey. With the help of author and Preston’s Charm advocate Hogan Hilling, they have published a book titled Preston’s Charm: A Charm-ing, Healthy and Empathetic Approach to Grief. This book, which took two years to complete, is a collaborative effort involving Bagley, Hilling, and several other parents who have also lost children.
“When Hogan approached me, we started just taking some of the stories I already had, like my journaling and counseling,” Bagley explained. The book includes contributions from seven or eight parents, but Bagley and Hilling did the bulk of the writing. The first three chapters, written by Bagley, explore various themes, including what she calls “the forgotten mourners”—those who are deeply affected by a loss but may not be as directly involved, such as cousins or siblings. Bagley herself experienced this when she lost her brother in a house fire during her childhood, a grief she never fully addressed until she began this journey.
The process of creating the charms and writing this book has been transformative for Bagley. It gave her the courage to speak to her older brother about the loss of their sibling, a conversation they had avoided for decades. The book also chronicles her experiences since she began sending out the charms, which have now reached multiple continents. The people who emailed her after finding the charms often shared their own grief, and this collective mourning brought people from around the world together, giving them permission and a space to discuss their losses.
“I was telling Hogan yesterday, I have friends I haven’t even met, and you know we talk a lot and they’re my hugest support,” Bagley shared, highlighting the profound connections made through this project.
Looking ahead, Bagley aims to form a nonprofit organization around the charms, dedicated to helping people through mourning and offering support to those in need.
The Tribune originally covered this story last year on the fifth anniversary of Preston’s passing in an article titled A Charm-ing Approach to Grief. This headline became the basis for the subtitle of her book. As we mark six years since Preston’s passing on Aug. 28th, Bagley is giving back to the readers of The Tribune. Bagley will be giving away five signed copies of the book, with announcements to be made soon on The Tribune’s Facebook page.
