In January 2020, Liam Walsh's 15-year old son Patrick went to a football game with his brother and never came home. He collapsed as they dashed for the last train out of Marylebone and died, suddenly, unexpectedly and still, without cause.

Two weeks later, Liam's Dad, with his sense of purpose desperately unravelled, gently died too.

'Red Balloons' traces their last months, and how Liam endured the next ones.

Today, he discusses writing, running, and family life after loss.

Resources Red Balloons, Liam Walsh

SUDC UK (Sudden Unexplained Death of a Child) SUDC is the unexpected death of a child aged between 1-18 years that remains unexplained. SUDC UK is a registered charity dedicated to awareness, research and family support.

There are running clubs across the UK, for all ages and ability levels. Here’s some places to start:

• Run Together (England Athletics)
• The UK Good Run Guide A-Z directory

If you need a more bouncy and excitable excuse/reason to get outdoors…Borrow My Doggy

For more resources as discussed on the episode, please visit the ⁠Bereaved Parents' Club⁠.

This episode is dedicated to Patrick.

Dreading December? Can’t face Christmas? No idea how you are going to manage your grief in the face of all the baubles and cheer? We’re here to try to help you through. Listen to Abi May and Debbie discuss the difficulties of seasonal festivities and suggest a few things that just might help.

Resources Living With Loss is Abi’s webpage with details of the retreats and workshops on offer

The Compassionate Friends leaflets Coping with Special Occasions and Coping with Christmas and Other Seasonal Events

Winston’s Wish Coping with Christmas blog 2023

Untangle Grief’s guide to coping at Christmas (do check the accuracy of the 2024 events listed by downloading the app)

Christmas Day Helplines

• Child Death Helpline 0800 282 986
• The Compassionate Friends 0345 123 2304 open from 10am to 4pm, and 7pm to 10pm, every day of the year.
• Samaritans 116 123

This episode is dedicated to Pax and Catherine.

Shushma Jain shares her story of losing her brother Arvind. We’ll find out why siblings are ‘forgotten mourners’ and what Shushma is doing to help other adult siblings to cope with their grief.

Resources

SLOW Support for Bereaved Parents and Siblings

The Dead Sibling Society video podcast

Sibling Support mainly for young people

Sibs For brothers and sisters of disabled children and adults

For more resources as discussed on the episode, please visit the ⁠Bereaved Parents' Club⁠.

This episode is dedicated to Arvind.

Sharron Huddleston has been campaigning for the introduction of a Graduated Driving License Scheme since her daughter Caitlin was killed in a car crash in 2017.

Caitlin was the passenger of a driver who had only held a license for 4 months and whose inexperience contributed to the fatal outcome. Here Sharron talks about her lovely daughter, her grief, and her determination to make our roads safer.

Resources

Brake’s Graduated Driving License campaign

Caitlin’s Story

Road Peace the National Charity for Road Crash Victims.

Forget-me-not Families Uniting private Facebook group

For more resources as discussed on the episode, please visit the ⁠Bereaved Parents' Club⁠.

UPDATE!!

Email from Sharron on 15th October 2024:

The big news was, that we have received the full support for GDL to be implemented as law from Chief Constable Jo Shiner who is the most senior roads policing officer in the UK. She holds the road safety portfolio…

The campaign group has now grown to 157 bereaved family members all calling for GDL.

https://mailchi.mp/roadpeace/graduated-driving-licensing-in-the-national-spotlight-again?e=67740e583d

In the last few days a member of our group has set up a new petition for GDL:

https://www.change.org/p/safer-driving-licensing-for-newly-qualified-17-19-year-olds?recruited_by_id=94381330-880d-11ef-9530-d3f149c6d31c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf&utm_medium=copylink&sfnsn=scwspmo

The RAC Foundation proposal to Government on what they think a British Graduated Driving License system should include was released last week too…If you listen from 1hr 46 mins 36 secs you can listen to Elizabeth Box from the RAC Foundation explaining the RAC Foundation proposal for a British Graduated Driving License system and why and how it will save young lives on our roads. Ian Greenwood and myself speak too. Chief Constable Jo Shiner is interviewed at 3 hours 11 mins and 45 secs giving her support, where again you can hear Ian and myself speak. Listen here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0js7yjs

This episode is dedicated to Caitlin.

Where do you turn when your baby dies? How do you express your loss, connect with others, and find some comfort? What happens when you go on to have a child after loss?

Whilst finding a creative outlet for her own grief, Jess reached out and created online spaces for others facing similar challenges.

Find out about the Legacy of Leo, #BabyLossHour, Advent to Remember, and the ups and downs of navigating family life.

Resources

LGBT Baby Loss: https://thelegacyofleo.com/lgbt-baby-loss/

Baby Loss Hour:

https://thelegacyofleo.com/babylosshour/

Advent to Remember:

https://thelegacyofleo.com/adventtoremember/

Allsorts Parents & Carers Service emerged in 2013 in response to the need for parents/carers of children and young people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (LGBT+), to connect and provide each other with support, community and friendship.

The National Bereavement Care Pathway was initiated by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for baby loss. Piloted in 11 sites in 2017/18, the NBCP is now used in 99% of NHS England hospital sites. The full list of resources is available on our website so please visit the ⁠Bereaved Parents' Club⁠. This episode is dedicated to Leo.

Dads want to join golf clubs and football clubs. But for those men who find themselves experiencing child loss, Trevor Dwyer-Lynch has set up ‘The Exclusive Club Dad’s Don’t Wanna Belong To’. Today Trevor tells us about how setting up his podcast has given him a way of expressing his own feelings, and hopefully helping other men acknowledge and express theirs. There’s also Buddhism and poetry…

Resources

The Exclusive Club That Dads Don't Wanna Belong To podcast

For more understanding about different faiths and their beliefs around death, Child Bereavement UK has a dedicated information page.

Read more about Angels United FC, and there’s lots more similar teams run through SANDS.

For more resources as discussed on the episode, please visit the ⁠Bereaved Parents' Club⁠.

This episode is dedicated to Jordan.

This episode is dedicated to Jordan.

Is work a saviour or a source of anxiety after loss? What can employers do better to support bereaved parents? What happens when you find your job just doesn’t seem to matter any more? How do you work out what to do next?

Jillian Bain, a bereaved mum herself and a Career Development Professional from Scotland, talks us through some of the complexities of grief and a return to work, and how we might navigate this aspect of life after loss.

If you’d like to read Jillian’s research, please email her for a copy on jillmill1972@gmail.com

ACAS information about Bereavement and Time Off Work

Want to volunteer but don’t know where to start? Check these out: Volunteering Wales website, Volunteer Scotland website, and National Council for Voluntary Organisations for England and the UK.

For more resources discussed on the episode, please visit the Bereaved Parents' Club. This episode is dedicated to Rachael.