Nicola shares her heartbreaking story of her daughterLaura's bravery and determination after being diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer Glioblastoma.

How Laura defied the initial terminal prognosis timeline, the families fight for treatment to keep Laura alive. Nicola shares stories of Laura's bucket list which went viral.

How Laura became a young ambassador for the Brain Tumour Charity and re-enrolled at university whilst having Chemo and completed her degree course and graduated with a 2:1.

Nicola shares the need for the narrative to change in termsof more support and recognition for sibling loss and that her other daughter Gracie now works for Sibling Support UK to help other siblings like herself.

Nicola Nuttall has become a passionate fundraiser, speaker and campaigner, fighting to raise awareness of the disease.

Her book ‘The Stars Will Still Be There’ published by Harper Collins, is an unflinchingly honest account of how the family coped with Laura’s devastating diagnosis and helped to make the most of her remaining time, reminding us all to live life to the fullest and ‘Be More Laura’ every single day.

Nicola runs The Be More Laura Foundation which funds vital research in the hope of finding kinder, more effective treatments for glioblastoma and works with organisations such as Our Brain Bank, Brain Cancer Justice and The Brain Tumour Charity to call for change in how brain tumours are treated, particularly in young adults.

Please be aware this episode will include themes of death, loss and cancer treatment.

How do you tackle wills, pensions and legacy post the death of your only child when you have little family and no future bloodline?

Tracy George's Mum shares her experience and recent difficult conversations and being four years on with still no plan?

We would be happy to hear any thoughts and what other parents and families have done?

#childloss​

We are thankful that Katja Faber Argenta has taken the time to record this very special Christmas Message.

Katja shares her experiences of navigating Christmas over the last eleven years after her son Alex was killed on 30th December 2014.

For parents more newly bereaved or parents struggling this year with the difficulties of Christmas we hope you find some comfort in Katja's words on how her family have reinvented Christmas as the years have passed and that it has felt lighter and softer in more recent years.

@katja.author.faber is a mother, writer, speaker and grief mentor. I like so many other bereaved parents took great comfort from Katja's posts over the years as her words resonated and I could identify in what she was writing.

We would like to wish Katja, her family and all our listeners a peaceful Christmas. Whatever you choose to do or not do over the coming days is enough.

Extending our love to you and your loved ones no longer physically with us ❤️.

This podcast short is dedicated to Alex ❤️

#childloss

#bereavedparent

#survivingchristmas

We are so honoured @love.from.dad Matt has recorded this very special Christmas Message for parents who are navigating the devastating loss of a baby or young child.

Matt talks about navigating that first Christmas without their baby daughter Wren who died at eight days old in April 2022.

Matt explains the difficulties of handling family photos and how they include Wrens bunny in these family gatherings.

Matt shares some beautiful ways of how they include and honour their daughter Wren at Christmas. Including buying an age appropriate toy at and donating it to a local charity in Wren's honour.

From the bottom of our heart we send our love to Matt, his family and to anyone affected by the loss of a baby 🩷💙.

For parents seeking understanding please follow Matt @love.from.dad . Matt is an advocate for the @stillparentspodcast hosted by Dads who have all experienced baby loss.
Please reach out to your local baby loss charity and national ones that offer support and a helpline.

This podcast short is dedicated to Wren 🩷.

Today we are so thankful for Sascha's little sister Stefanie who has kindly recorded this special Christmas message.

Her older brother Sascha died aged 18 in 2004 from Glioblastoma which is an aggressive cancer in the brain.

Stefanie shares how they honour and include Sascha at Christmas and have formed ways of doing this as a family every year.

We love the candle lighting idea and having a candle burning into the new year as a symbol of Stefanie taking Sascha into the next year with her.

Coping with a new year without your loved one is often very challenging and a particularly complex time in grief.

Sibling grief is complicated as not only does it change the dynamics of your family. You may now be the only living child yet this was never meant to be. Often siblings have special close relationships they can be best friends, confidents and protectors and the loss of them is felt in so many ways.

The focus after a child dies is often on the parents as this is against the natural order of life. For a sibling they are grieving the loss of their sibling and on top the loss of the son/daughter relationship they had before as their parents are struggling with their own grief. This can have further impact the family connection with living siblings as each of their relationships with their parents and siblings are uniquely individual to them.

This is a truly beautiful message from Stefanie which clearly shows the growing love and bond she has with her big brother Sascha.

Thank you Stefanie x

This podcast short is dedicated to Sascha ❤️

#glioblastomaawareness

#siblingloss

#siblinggrief

#survivingchristmas

#saytheirnames

We are so grateful to Emma Ruby's Mum for taking the time to record this special podcast short on how her family handle Christmas and include/honour their daughter Ruby who died in May 2020 at the age of eighteen from lymphoma a form of blood cancer.

We hope it resonates and provides comfort and support to other bereaved parents as this time of year is particularly tricky and at times overwhelming.

Ruby's family and friends have raised a truly incredible £292k during the last five years through Live Kindly Live Loudly which is Ruby's motto and her legacy.

All the money raised goes directly to CCLG: The Children & Young People's Cancer Association raising vital funds for research into T-cell lymphoma and leukaemia.

You can find out more information by visiting @livekindlyliveloudly on instagram and clicking on their web link in the bio.

Thank you Emma xx

This podcast short is dedicated to Ruby ❤️.

#livekindlyliveloudly
#bereavedparents
#childloss
#survivingchristmas
#saytheirnames

Kasia shares her story of her son Jakub including his musical talent and his final day. We hear about Jaks World, a suicide prevention charity, and how this has helped Kasia in her grief. Kasia explains the need to change the narrative around suicide and providing education to all and the important work Jaks World is doing in honest open conversations around suicide and its prevention. Kasia, as a qualified EFT practitioner, talks openly about her experience and how she uses this practice daily in trying to help regulate her nervous system.Please be aware this episode covers grief, loss and suicide.

Meet Debbie and Tracy, the two mums behind the Bereaved Parents’ Club. And meet Dan and George, their brilliant sons whose deaths led to the mums joining the club that nobody wants to be a member of.

This is an opportunity to find out how Tracy and Debbie met, and how the podcast came about. You’ll also hear about their books. Debbie wrote Midowed, published last year, which describes the first year of grief and celebrates the mother-son bond and coins the word ‘midowed’ to describe a mother that has lost her child. Tracy’s book Cooked with Love celebrates food as an expression of love and a way of sharing wonderful memories. Gathering recipes from bereaved parents it’s a mouth-watering testament to meals loved and shared, and a glimpse into the lives of the children we miss so very much.

Join us as we think about what we have achieved and what might be coming next for the Bereaved Parents’ Club.

This episode is dedicated to George and Dan.