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• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Anniversaries and other special occasions >> Anniversaries and other special occasions

Anniversaries and other special occasions

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• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a husband, wife or partner >> Sarah - Interview 20 >> After Russell died Sarah’s overriding emotions were to do with protecting the children. When the reality hit her she felt she had lost herself as well

Sarah’s husband, Russell, died in 2006 in a road traffic collision. He was driving a bus when the driver of another vehicle pulled out suddenly, causing the incident. Sarah was devastated and still feels that her life has been shattered.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a child >> Pat - Interview 05 >> A lovely wooden seat was placed by a lake in memory of Pat’s son Matthew. Pat goes there on the anniversary of his death and on his birthday and at ot

In 2007 Pat’s son, Matthew, was killed when his motorbike hit a car that was turning right. The coroner concluded that it had been an accident. Pat was devastated. She has found support from family, friends, and through Cruse Bereavement Care.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a brother or a sister >> Susanna - Interview 17 >> Christmas is always a difficult time for Susanna, partly because her brother’s funeral was on 23rd December. She said that both Christmas and New Year

Susanna lost her brother in the terrorist bombings in Bali on 12th October 2002. Dan was killed instantly and his wife was badly burnt. With other bereaved relatives she started the UK Bali Bombing Victims Group.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a child >> Cynthia - Interview 02 >> Since her daughter died Cynthia wants to have nothing to do with Christmas. On the anniversary of her death in June she always does something special.

In 2000 Cynthia’s 26 year old daughter was killed when she was knocked off her bicycle and run over by a lorry. The inquest verdict was “accidental death” and the driver was acquitted. Cynthia was devastated and now campaigns to prevent other road deaths.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a parent >> Michelle - Interview 41 >> Anniversaries are hard for Michelle. It helps her to do something positive - she leaves flowers at the cemetery, lights a candle, talks to her mother

In 2005 Michelle’s mother was murdered. She was stabbed. Michelle was shocked and horrified. She has found help through friends, family, a community psychiatric nurse, a psychologist, a homeopath (privately), a medium and by writing about what happened.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to traumatic death >> Lost a husband, wife or partner >> Marcus - Interview 38 >> Years ago Marcus found the anniversary of his fiancée's death heartbreaking. Now he goes to the cemetery in a more positive frame of mind. He lays his

Marcus’s fiancée, Louise, was murdered in 1987. Marcus was shocked and his life was shattered. He found help through friends, family, the police, psychiatrists and art therapy. Today he finds help by helping others who have been bereaved in this way.