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We are now a few months on from the loss of our young daughter to cancer and as a family, we have found is that available after support is so basic, it has been very difficult to find somewhere that can successfully support and guide us, especially our young child.

Thankfully, I have found a good therapist based at FACT (Fighting All Cancers Together).  This has been such an important link for me that enables me to work through my own grief but able to stay strong enough to help my young child through their own journey to understand, accept and come to terms with the loss of their sister.

The support we have around us from family and friends is fantastic, but as a grieving parent there are times, many times you just need an outsider to listen, guide and comfort without worrying that you are upsetting the people you love around you, and this is what I get from FACT. 

FACT currently have a small group to support children who have suffered loss of a loved one. The group is made up of mostly children who have lost a parent, my child is the only child currently accessing their service who has lost a sibling.  

However, I know FACT have now made connections with the children’s cancer ward at the RVI and want to open that support to the children and siblings there, and believe me, there are so many children and families in need of this service to support them through the toughest times any family will face.  During the children support group, counsellors are also available and work amongst parents giving them a more informal route to just chat or offload, or just be heard and feel supported. 

As a parent it is also vital to have other parents to talk to who have experienced the same loss as ourselves. This is what I hope to help FACT develop further creating more specific sibling loss groups, more regular group sessions, support for parents/families and creating parent/family connections to help support each other. 

Ourselves and 73 of our fantastic friends are taking part in the ‘Colour Obstacle Rush’ in June 2019 and we would like to use this fundraising opportunity to support FACT to develop the support systems we, and many other families desperately need.