On December 3rd, I received the most devastating news that a parent could ever hear; my 18 year old son Jack had been killed in a car accident whilst on his way to work. At that moment I thought my life had ended too, my heart was broken and I couldn’t see a way of living with the terrible pain that filled my days. Life without him was unbearable and it virtually tore the family apart.

I was encouraged to contact Edward’s Trust by a friend who had suffered the same. Being able to talk to someone who understood what we were going through was invaluable and with regular support, counselling, and group meetings with other families who are coping with the loss of a child, we are slowly rebuilding our lives. I know that I couldn’t be where I am today without their support and now, there are more good times than not. The difficult times I am coping better with, and just being able to talk in a comfortable, caring environment means the world to me.

This year it should have been Jack’s 21st birthday. I was absolutely dreading it and quite frankly had no idea how I was going to deal with the day. I decided that I would like to give something back to Edward’s Trust and set up a fundraising page on Facebook. The response was absolutely amazing. Friends and family came together to celebrate his special day and we raised over £2,000. I was so overwhelmed with the response, it made what was a very difficult day both meaningful and special.

Life will never be the same without our beautiful boy, but Edward’s Trust have given us hope that there is a future and Jack will always be part of it.