Grieving the Death of a Twin Child

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends The Compassionate Friends (TCF) has published more than 40 leaflets on various aspects of grief following the death of a child. This leaflet is specifically about the loss of a twin. We suggest it is read alongside other appropriate leaflets, such as those for different age groups or different circumstances of death. Please see the list of recommendations and links at the end of the text. To lose a child is the greatest pain a parent can endure. The death of a twin adds another dimension to this tragedy. Although each twin is an individual, from the moment we found out that we were expecting twins, they might have been two inseparablepeople inourmindsand inourhearts. What is more, not only are we trying to cope with our own grief, but in addition, we are supporting the surviving twin who will also be grieving, as well as any other children in our family. Coping with our grief The death of a child is widely accepted as one of the most difficult bereavements to cope with. We do not expect to outlive our children; it seems to contradict the laws of nature. As bereaved parents we suffer a bewildering turmoil of emotions, including perhaps intense sorrow, confusion, anger, regret or guilt. We might lose our self-confidence or our ability to concentrate. We might find ourselves either eating for comfort or barely eating at all. We might be unable to sleep or to find peace of mind. Our sense of loss is profound. Many of our expectations, hopes and dreams for the future are ended, and our world has changed forever. Our family will never be complete again, and every relationship within it Grieving the Death of a Twin Child