Helping Parents When Their Child Dies at University

UK Helpline: 0345 123 2304 | www.tcf.org.uk Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to read this leaflet. We appreciate all that you can do to support the bereaved families you encounter. Your kindness and consideration will not remove the painful grief that parents will experience, but they can make it just a bit easier to bear. In the words of bereaved parents: “We need people to understand that whilst we have many things in common, we are all different.” It is well recognised that grief has an impact on a person’s wellbeing in physical, emotional and psychological ways. A profound loss, such as the loss of a child, can intensify this impact. Although many aspects of grief are common, we are each a unique individual, with our own personality, family relationships and belief systems. We also have our own cultural and religious customs in terms of funeral practices and responses to death. It will be helpful if you could take this into account and not make assumptions about our wishes or actions.