Tom ,Claire,CRY and help

from Tom and Claire’s page ……

”Claire and I always remembered that while some folk crossed the road because they didn’t know what to say to us after Tom died, Tom’s friends – and Ellen’s too for that matter – always made a point of crossing the road to talk to us. It didn’t mean, of course, that they didn’t have their own sorrow to deal with. CRY have now bought out a new booklet ‘A Friend’s Grief.

The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) is this month [13 November 2017] launching a powerful new booklet for young people learning to navigate their emotions following the tragic and sudden death of a close friend from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

The booklet, ‘A friend’s grief following a young sudden cardiac death ‘‘ has been compiled by CRY’s Founder and bereavement counsellor, Alison Cox MBE. It features 10 short chapters from 29 bereaved young people talking through their experience of coping with the gap their friend has left, trying to adapt their lives without them by their side and finding a ‘new normal’.

Poignantly, the authors emphasise how much talking helps address what happened and their surprise and delight when they found that parents wanted to retain contact. Many spoke of ‘living for the day’, taking nothing for granted and discovering how they value relationships more.

The booklet – which is being officially launched in the lead up to CRY’s annual Raising Awareness Week [19-26 November] – is part of a wider campaign highlighting the grief felt by young people when they experience the death of a friend. CRY hopes this new initiative will encourage young people to share their memories and to talk openly about their grief. The resource will also be available to read online or order for free, directly from CRY:
www.cry4friends.org.uk