Online Support Group for Parents Bereaved by Cancer or Long-Term Illness

4 February 2025, 19.00 – 20.30

Online Via Zoom

PLEASE BOOK FOR THIS GROUP HERE

FOR PARENTS BEREAVED BY CANCER OR LONG-TERM ILLNESS 

ABOUT THIS GROUP

As parents we want the best for our children and hope that they will live long, healthy and happy lives. Some of us knew from the birth, or soon after, that our child was suffering from a terminal illness, and that our time together as a family was likely to be limited. Others of us enjoyed carefree years of good health for our child, with the illness and eventual diagnosis - whether cancer or another terminal illness - coming as a dreadful shock.

We may have found ourselves thrust into a new and frightening world, where we are not in control and, ultimately, we are powerless in our struggle to keep them alive. We may have lived for years in an emotional turmoil of hope and fear and have been worn down by the battle with their illness and have few resources left to sustain us in our journey through grief and loss.

Death is always a shock, even when expected - a time when all hope has finally been snatched away and we must begin to face a future without our child.

We are inevitably different people after the death of our child, but the need to remember our child and to share memories will always be there. This is an opportunity to share with others who have similar experiences and find hope for the future.

What parents at a recent group have said:

‘I just felt like there was a sense of relief in being surrounded by others who have walked a similar path, no expectations of meeting milestones or feeling a certain way but feeling accepted.’

‘It’s so good to be able to talk about our particular reason for the death of our child with an understanding in the group, and carry on with a sense that you are not alone on what feels like the loneliest journey‘

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

This group is primarily for anyone who is bereaved of a child either by long-term illness or by cancer. 

We do apologise but this online group is not suitable for anyone bereaved 3 months or less. If you are under 3 months bereaved please contact the Helpline on 0345 123 2304 for listening support.

To keep the group as helpful as possible, we limit the number of attendees. Please note we give priority to parents who have not attended an online group before.

Once you book you will receive more details and the Zoom link closer to the meeting date. Just a reminder to check your spam or junk email folders if you haven’t received the link for the online meeting by the day of the meeting. Please contact info@tcf.org.uk if you have any questions or queries.

Please can we ask that you join the group using a desktop computer, a laptop or a tablet if possible. We do apologise if you join a Zoom sharing session using a mobile phone you may not be able to see the other participants in the group.

Please contact events@tcf.org.uk if you have any questions or queries.

Please note this group is for bereaved parents in the UK only – if you want to join from abroad please contact us on events@tcf.org.uk

If you are newly bereaved:
Please note, our online support group meetings may not be the most appropriate form of support for very newly bereaved parents. We know how vulnerable we can be in the early weeks and months of our grief and how raw the pain and heartache can feel.

In an online support environment, we will of course do all we can to express our empathy to newly bereaved parents verbally but we won’t be able to offer the very important physical presence and contact that physical groups can offer especially when parents become very upset. Our online meetings tend to be shorter than physical meetings which also means that we won’t have as much time to hear from all group members in the ways in which we would do if we were meeting face to face.

We know that in the early days of our grief, there is a strong need to tell our ‘story’ about the loss of our precious child. We know that this is a very important part of grieving - however, our support groups, whether online or face to face can only offer the opportunity to say a little about your loss and in not too much detail so as to enable everyone to have a chance to speak and also to minimise the risk of anyone attending being re-traumatised around their own loss by hearing graphic details of someone else’s loss. It would help to know how early you are in your loss and whether you are already receiving TCF support - what we don’t wish to do is increase the vulnerability of any bereaved parent by not managing your expectations about what our support group offers and is unable to offer. We may make contact if we need to explore with you whether our online group support is the most appropriate way to support you at this stage in your loss.

Please note that these online events are run by bereaved parent volunteers. Our volunteers are not professionals and so what we offer is a uniquely warm, comforting and supportive online group organised and facilitated by parents who have also experienced the loss of a child and have found understanding and hope themselves through The Compassionate Friends.

PLEASE BOOK FOR THIS GROUP HERE