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Local Non-Profit Group Helps Terminally Ill Patients Make Sure 'Memories Live'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - If you've ever gone through the pain of losing someone you love, you know the grieving process is heart-wrenching.

While everyone handles it differently, some families are choosing to face death in a new way, leaving behind a lifetime of memories.

Kerry Glass, a Rutgers graduate who spent years working in a nursing home, launched Memories Live in 2010 and has since helped 45 terminally ill patients make a video, free of charge, for their families.

"It's very rewarding. People who are experiencing this phase in their life are feeling so much guilt and to be able to sit down with them and give them the opportunity to express themselves, to share family stories and advice to their loved ones is just really overpowering for them and they just feel it's such a cathartic experience for them," Glass told CBS 2's Cindy Hsu.

Glass said it is important for her to keep Memories Live as a non-profit so everyone has the opportunity to record a lasting message for their families.

A fundraiser is being held next weekend by Live Wheel. The fundraiser will feature a 45-minute spin class, raffles, giveaways and more, Glass told Hsu.

When the non-profit first started, social workers refer patients to Memories Live. Now, patients and families can also approach Glass through her website.

For more information on Memories Live, click here.

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