Support Families Who Have a Terminally Ill Child

Shona White was six and a half when she was diagnosed with a tumour at the base of the brain.  Family Support Worker Val has provided berevement support to parents Stephanie and Simon and older sister Iona since Shona's death.

"When Shona was ill, we had support from so many services, we knew so many people - doctors, nurses, community nurses, therapists to name but a few.  We got to know them all really well through the years that Shona was ill.  Understandably, when she died they had to move on and treat other patients, but it felt as though not only had we lost Shona, we'd also lost these people who had become such a big part of our lives."

"As Val had been our Family Support Worker since June 2007, she knew Shona; she knew her character, her sense of humour and what she liked doing.  Even now she will point out something that she thinks Shona would have liked.  We don't have to explain anything about Shona to Val because they knew each other.  We don't really feel the need to go to another bereavement service.  We'd have to go through Shona's whole story with someone who didn't know her.  The continuity of service which Rainbow Trust has provided is what we have appreciated the most and it's so important to us that Val knew the real Shona, not just her story.

"We had the first anniversary of Shona's death in June this year.  It was difficult, and will continue to be for many years to come, but it is reassuring to know that Rainbow Trust is still here for and with us."

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