“I’ve learned that it can be isolating, and I don’t want anyone to feel alone in this pain like I did.  Growing around grief has been an emotional, chaotic, rollercoaster.”

Lea lost her mum, and with that loss came the feeling of losing half of her racial and cultural identity. Lea also reminds us that identity doesn’t vanish with the person who nurtured it. She dances like her mum, laughs like her mum, and carries her culture in the small, everyday things she continues to honour.

“But when I think of my grief as tangible, a thing, almost, I’m reminded it is just that; an embodiment of love held for someone that no longer has a place to go. For a while, this space was huge, almost swallowed me alive.”

With time, Eleanor found her way back to life. She returned to university, to friends, to family, learning to live differently, more bravely, and always with her mum’s love carried forward.

Jasleen is honouring her dad in a huge way, she’s running the London Marathon for us! And she has shared her story of losing her dad suddenly and her grief journey so far.

Krina lost her dad suddenly at 19, a loss that changed her life in ways she never imagined. She finds herself laughing more than crying, holding tightly to the funny memories they shared and Krina has found running a helpful space for her in her grief.

Mia lost her dad, Stuart, in June 2024. Mia delves into her journey with grief and anxiety, how it showed up for her and how she has learnt, with support, to manage it.

“I'm Ellie, I'm 29 and I lost my dad 3 years ago. Which means (unfortunately) I can offer a bit of advice over how to deal with the rawness that is fresh grief.”

“After loss, I think men often feel pressure to “do something”. They feel that they need to channel the energy generated by grief to show they are not defeated, but the best thing you can do with that energy is channel it into the courage to speak.”

Nat shares the quiet realities of grief. What it means to live in a in the same house without them and how your relationships with those around you can change, in his case, the relationship with his dad.

At just 26, Rianna lost her dad, Ged, her best friend and biggest supporter. His sudden passing from COPD turned her world upside down. Rianna shares how she’s learning to navigate life after loss.

After losing her mum during the Covid lockdowns, Liv spent years trying to understand the intense fear, anxiety, and exhaustion that followed. It wasn’t until a counsellor suggested she might be living with PTSD that things started to make sense.

Meet Ellie, one of our incredible volunteers who’s bravely sharing her journey through loss. In her first piece, Ellie opens up about losing her dad and the waves of grief that followed.

In this follow-up to her original story, Eilidh shares what the second year of grief has taught her, the quiet shifts, the unexpected memories, and the small, meaningful ways she continues to feel connected to her mum.

Izzy lost her dad to cancer just before her eighth birthday. As a child, she couldn’t yet process the loss but as she grew, the grief resurfaced in new and unexpected ways.

After losing her mum following a short illness, Liv was faced with grief and the anger, confusion, and pain that came with it. She also had to navigate the difficult process of an inquest.

Abigail was just 14 when her mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and five years later, at the age of 19, she lost her. Abigail reflects on the challenges of navigating grief as a young adult.

At just five years old, Isabelle lost her mum. Now, at 21, she reflects on growing up with grief, how it shaped her love for art, and the ways she continues to carry her mum’s memory forward.

We recently sat down with Jonathan to talk about the book, his writing process, and how poetry has helped him navigate life after loss.