b'Our CareFamily and Bereavement Support ServiceOur Family and Bereavement Support team, like all our services,My husband at the rst instance did not feel support sessions is completely free of charge and is here to oer you a safe andwould help and that he wouldnt be able to open up to a condential space to discuss your feelings and emotions aroundstranger. Over the weeks he could see how much it was bereavement. If you want to talk to someone before orhelping me to cope with my feelings and think of things in a following a bereavement, we are here with you. Whether yourdierent way. So he agreed to see Donna, both lovely kind bereavement happened recently or was some time ago, andladies were assigned to us for a reason, they just got where we whether or not your loved one received our hospice services, wewere both coming from. After a couple of sessions of seeing can help. Find out how our Family and Bereavement supportLinda and Donna, we were both oered relaxation therapy by team helped Debbie, who got in touch with our team followingthe lovely Kelsey, after a session of opening up and letting your the shattering loss of her daughter Alicia. inner feelings out, (which was exhausting, but in a satisfying way), we then got the relaxing therapy, which can be a Debbies storymassage, mindfulness, or reiki just to name a few.I would like to share our story and experience of how St Marys Hospice probably saved my life by guiding us through some veryWe cannot thank the team at St Marys Hospice enough, they dark times. We were a regular funloving family, we had twohave been friendly and professional from start to nish, from children, Dan 28 and Alicia 26, then on May 26th 2021 our livesthe reception team (who I may add are all voluntary) to our were shattered into a thousand pieces, our beautiful daughterbereavement support workers and therapy teams. was killed in a road trac accident, she went out of the house one afternoon and never came back. The girl who was drivingMy support sessions have just come to an end after nearly two the car Alicia was travelling in was full of alcohol and drugs, sheyears (my decision) with the option of getting back in touch if I is now in prison. We went through every emotion possible.needed to. We were never at any stage made to feel like we had exhausted our sessions. Just an added bonus at the end of our sessions, we got to have lovely food and coee in the Orangery attached to the hospice.I just want to end with thanking Linda and Donna from the bottom of my heart, for all their support and kindness. Thank you to Debbie for kindly and bravely sharing your story.To nd out more about the help you could receive from our Family and Bereavement Support team please call us Monday to Friday on 01229 580 305 Option 6, or visit our website www.stmaryshospice.org.ukWhile at the hospital identifying Alicia (which as you canWe are always looking to imagine was just horric beyond words), the lovely lady thererecruit volunteers to this told us about St Marys Hospice where we could receivemuch loved and needed bereavement support sessions. I rang them that very same day,service, full extensive I felt so lost and angry, why my girl?training will be given. If you can help make a dierence to families across our community please get in touch I spoke to Linda who was kind, supportive and arranged me anvolunteers@stmaryshospice.org.uk. Thank you National appointment to see her, we jelled straight away, she was easyLottery Awards For All Funding supporting our vital volunteer to talk to and I found myself over the months starting to heal.recruitment. 13'