How does a parent cope with the devastating loss of a child? Expert advice on dealing with grief.
Our hearts go out to Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny at this time.
On Monday September 14, Olympic swimmer, Lisa Curry and her ex-husband Grant Kenny confirmed their oldest child Jaimi Lee Curry Kenny had passed away following a private battle with a long-term illness.
The family are choosing not to disclose the exact nature of Jaimi’s illness.
On Tuesday morning, Jaimi’s mum took to Instagram to pay tribute to her ‘beautiful’ daughter.
“Our hearts are completely broken. 💔 So loved. So beautiful. So kind to everyone…. So painful. I can barely breathe,” the 58-year-old began.
“Jaimi will forever be remembered as a caring, bright and loving soul who always put others before herself. Her love of flowers, cooking, art, decorating, photography, babies, the beach, and helping others will always be remembered.”
“Our hearts are broken and the pain is unbearable but we cherish every wonderful moment we got to share with our treasured and so loved first child.”
The I’m A Celeb star went on to thank the medical professionals who cared for Jaimi during her illness.
“We thank all the paramedics, support staff and the incredible team at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for their tireless commitment to give us the extra time we were able to spend with Jaimi,” the mother-of-three said.
“It goes without saying that this is a very difficult time for our family and all who knew and loved Jaimi so very much.”
“Rest in peace my beautiful baby. I will miss you every sunrise, I will miss you when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. I will miss you when the clouds are dark and stormy and when the rainbow appears. I will miss you when I close my eyes. I will miss you when I open my eyes. I will miss our long hugs and long chats. I will miss watching, feeling and knowing your love for your sister and brother, your little nephew, Cleo, your Ma and dad😞.”
Lisa finished her powerful essay saying she was in disbelief that her daughter was gone.
“I just can’t believe you’re not here anymore. I sit and just shake my head. It doesn’t seem real or right. You will forever be with me in my heart Jaimi. I love you so much. 🌸👼💕.”
How does a parent cope with the devastating loss of a child?
According to support service, Beyond Blue grief is something that takes time to work through. While everyone finds their own way to grieve it’s important to have the support of friends and family or someone else, and to talk about your loss when you need to.
Beyond Blue recommends the following ways to help yourself through the grieving process:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Talk to friends and family about how you are feeling, or consider joining a support group.
- Take care of your physical health. Grieving can be exhausting, so it’s important to eat a healthy diet, exercise and sleep.
- Manage stress – lighten your load by asking friends, family members or work colleagues to help you with some chores or commitments. Relaxation and gentle exercise can be helpful.
- Do things you enjoy, even if you don’t really feel like doing them.
Counselling and support service, Parent Line, says for anyone dealing with grief, to keep in mind:
- There is no right or wrong way to feel or grieve
- Everyone grieves in their own way
- Grief has no set pattern or rules
- There isn’t a timeline for grief
- There are no shortcuts to overcome grief
- Some days will be worse than others
- It will get easier to handle with time
Who can help? It’s important to have someone you can talk to about your loss when you need, here’s who can help:
- Friend or extended family member
- Counsellor or psychologist
- Local support group
- Online forums
- Parentline in your state or territory
- Red Nose Grief and Support Line– 1300 308 307
- Sands – 1300 072 637(miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support)
