supporting bereaved children & young people
supporting bereaved children & young people
Grief Encounter beneficiary Rachel shares how losing her husband Neil changed the way she thinks about the future, and why planning ahead has become one of the most important ways she can protect her family.
In 2022, my husband Neil died from cancer, leaving me to raise our children, Niamh and Samuel, who were just three years old at the time.
Since then, Grief Encounter has supported all of us through an incredibly difficult journey. Losing Neil at a young age changed how I think about the future and what it means to protect the people you love.
Before Neil died, neither of us imagined how quickly life could change. Like many families, we assumed there would always be more time.
As his illness progressed, it became incredibly difficult for Neil to think about a future he might not be part of. I bought memory books for him to complete for the children and keepsakes we could create together, but accepting what was happening was simply too hard.
When someone dies, grief consumes so much of your energy. At the same time, you’re faced with practical tasks, finding important documents, managing accounts and dealing with paperwork. Looking back, I realise how valuable it would have been if all of that information had already been organised.
“Planning ahead isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about making life a little easier for the people you love if the unexpected happens.”
That is why I was interested to discover Legacy Hub. What I value most is knowing that important information can be securely stored in one place, alongside personal items such as letters, photographs and voice messages. As a lone parent, knowing that everything is organised gives me real peace of mind.
A few years ago, I would probably have said I wasn’t ready to think about legacy planning. Now I see it differently.
Legacy planning isn’t really about death. It’s about protecting the people you love.
If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that planning ahead is one of the kindest things we can do for our families. We all hope they’ll never need it, but if they do, it can make an incredibly difficult time just a little easier.
An Exclusive Offer for Grief Encounter Supporters
Grief Encounter has partnered with Legacy Hub to offer supporters an exclusive 10% discount. Every new subscription also helps support Grief Encounter’s work with bereaved children and young people.