Date published: 13 May 2019 by Anna Jackson

Death and dying is still a taboo topic because people are fearful of how to tackle it. This feeling is exacerbated when it’s a child that has died or is nearing the end of their life.

Rainbow Trust supports over 2,500 families with a seriously ill child and since the start of 2019, 27 children supported by Rainbow Trust have died – more than one per week.

Bereaved families tell us that their friends often disappear when their child has died because they don’t know what to do. So they do nothing or they cross the road to avoid an awkward situation.

But it’s always better to do something, even just to say that you don’t know what to say – families appreciate the acknowledgement.

Rainbow Trust’s Family Support Workers play a crucial role in helping families cope. Grief is not measurable and affects everyone differently so Rainbow Trust provides families with an outlet for their emotions.

We are supporting Dying Matters Awareness Week from 13-19 May to help promote the importance of talking more openly about dying, death and bereavement.

So please, make that call or knock on that door to let bereaved friends know you are there. Together we can bring death out of the shadows.

Samantha Darrell, Deputy Director of Care Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity