"Death of my mother"

After losing my mom suddenly to COPD and Respiratory failure in March 2022, I did not know who to contact and felt so alone dealing with grief. Having never been bereaved or affected by death to this extent, I decided to contact The Greater Manchester Bereavement Service for some help and guidance.

From the first phone call I had, I felt as though I was able to express my emotions and get out all of the pain, anger, hurt, frustration, and loneliness since losing my mom. Thanks to the Greater Manchester Bereavement Service, I was able to express my emotions rather than suppress my feelings, which ultimately made it a lot easier to go through the grieving process. It was here I was recommended to use a grief journal as a safe and private space to express all feelings related to my grief.

To this day, I use a grief journal as a creative space for expression, where I express my grief through writing and art. Everyone's reaction to their grief is different, but do not be afraid to say to people that it helps you to talk, and you want to talk. We must have services in place, such as the Greater Manchester Bereavement Service, to help other bereaved people express how they are feeling rather than keep those feelings inside.

As I begin to embark on a new life without a mom and find an enduring connection with her, thank you to the Greater Manchester Bereavement Service for helping me to express how I feel and work through the pain of grief.