Helping Parents When Their Child Dies at University

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends The death of a student will usually be a shock to all who knew them, including students and faculty. It is likely that you have policies regarding the support of your student population and staff at such a time, as well as procedures for contact with the student’s next of kin. We hope the following, based on our own experiences as parents and siblings, will provide a useful supplement. Please note: Our charity’s focus is on the impact of the death of a child, of any age, on parents and siblings. This leaflet is written to discuss issues that might arise in particular following the death of a student whose parent(s) are their next of kin. Issues arising for students with a spouse and/or their own families, and families of international students studying in the UK, are beyond the scope of this publication. The death of a student at university will probably have been unexpected. In this situation, their family will have had no chance to say goodbye and will be in a profound state of stock. Parents will usually want to know the full details of what happened. Initially, both the university staff and other students will probably know more about the circumstances than the family do. On top of the emotional turmoil, parents will also have practical matters to attend to, such as collecting their child’s belongings, dealing with their accommodation, their phone contract, social media and general online presence. Their journey through grief is not going to be easy, but your empathy and understanding can make a real difference at this traumatic time. Helping Parents when Their Child Dies at University Suggestions for Universities

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