Today should have been my son’s 15th birthday. Instead I am writing about life after Tom. Tom died in his sleep in October this year of an undiagnosed heart-related condition. He had been fit, active, healthy, doing well at school, bright and happy. We were not, in any way, prepared. This is not about my wife
From the day Claire was born there was no mistaking she was a little girl, her sparkling blue eyes and smile would bring warmth to everyone who met her, feminine to the ends of her eye lashes. As Claire grew up in to a young lady her personality was one of embracing the love of her
On the morning of Sunday 12th October 2008, myself and my wife Beverley were sat at home with our morning cup of tea. Beverley had just returned from dropping our son off to do his local paper round. When the phone rang, Beverley answered it and I immediately saw the colour drain from her face, she
It’s now 8 months since, on the eventful evening of 13th September 2008, we learnt our dearly beloved son Kieran had died and left us. I am sure that we do not have to tell you how we feel, only that he along with his surviving sister Sinead, they were our very reason and purpose for
My name is Michael Shepherd and I’m 53 years old. I live with my wife Janice, 51, and son Liam, 23, in Bolsover – a small town 6 miles from Chesterfield in Derbyshire. All was well in our lives until the horror, which came on Friday 19th May 2006. Our daughter Lisa, 23, a staff nurse
If you are reading this story of our experiences, following the death of our son, then you will fall into one of 3 categories. The first and most important group are those directly affected by such events. The fact that you are reading this if you have recently lost someone is a positive sign as you
Presented here is an edited version of a chapter I wrote for a book a couple of years ago and remembers Joe Pearce Willis, our son. Fred Pearce and Sarah Willis Edited extract from Fred Pearce’s book “Confessions of an Eco-Sinner” (Eden Project Books, 2008). Our household survived without a mobile phone for a long time.
Andrew Mark was my first born, a perfect baby in every way. He grew up into a fine young man, a great son, and a wonderful brother to Stephen and Timothy. He loved and enjoyed life to the fullest. Andrew grew fast and was tall for his age. He experienced a couple of fainting attacks as
Ben was passionate about sport. Cricket, football and tennis were his mainstays, playing for Old Elthamians CC, Ravens Wood School, Ex Blues FC, and Bromley Tennis Club. He also had a wonderful love of music and played the guitar. Most recently he had embarked on the pathway to be a sports coach, becoming a Young Leader in Cricket with
Tom died in his sleep on Friday, October 5, 2007. He was 14. Unusually, he had felt unwell and been diagnosed with a virus the day before. I checked on him in the morning, glad he’d been catching up on his rest. I knew straight away that we’d lost him but I tried to save him.