Jenni Thomas Talks About Child Bereavement

Jenni Thomas

As a leading figure and pioneer in child bereavement, Jenni Thomas OBE provides support and guidance to those grieving the death of a baby or child and for children facing the death of a mum or dad, brother or sister. In this series, Jenni shares what children and parents have said was so important to them at this most difficult time in their lives. Jenni is the Patron and bereavement counsellor for the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust. NOTE: Jenni talks openly and sensitively about the death of babies, young children and adults. If you find any areas of the discussions in this series distressing, please seek out a family member, friend or counselling professional who is able to listen and be supportive. Jenni regrets she is unable to respond to requests for counselling. For more information on the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, visit www.almt.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    How to talk to children about death when a parent has a terminal illness

    Jenni Thomas and Nick Heath introduce the series which is aimed at helping those who are grieving or anyone who is supporting someone who is bereaved. They are joined by former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss whose wife Ruth died after a diagnosis of lung cancer. In the year leading up to Ruth’s death, Jenni saw both her and Andrew to help them talk to their children at a very difficult time. Andrew talks about the support that Jenni provided and how the family managed Ruth’s funeral. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Ruth Strauss Foundation - https://ruthstraussfoundation.com/ Macmillan Support – www.macmillan.org.uk Maggie's Centres - https://www.maggiescentres.org/ Winston's Wish - https://www.winstonswish.org/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Childhood Bereavement Network - http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/ Hospice UK - https://www.hospiceuk.org/  Missing Mummy (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0230749518/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_vqr5DbYD85DBS This is About Me & You (via ALMT site) - http://www.almt.org/control/uploads/files/1359572921~Me_&You_Final.pdf Guide to using This is About Me & You (via ALMT site) - http://www.almt.org/control/uploads/files/1567068938~Guide_to_My_book_about_me.pdf Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Grieving the death of your baby

    Jenni describes her life’s work learning from parents who have experienced the tragedy of their baby’s death, whether before, at or soon after birth. In this episode, Jenni explains how, through her career in the NHS and having founded the Child Bereavement Trust (now CBUK), she has learned how to support parents and children when a baby has died. Jenni shares how she has helped parents and enabled them to understand their grief and have a continuing bond with their baby as they move on with life. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association (SANDS) – www.sands.org.uk Tommys Together, for every baby - www.tommys.org Saying Goodbye, support for miscarriage and baby loss - https://www.sayinggoodbye.org/ Rainbow Babies Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/RainbowsBabies/ Bliss – for babies born premature or sick - https://www.bliss.org.uk/ Miscarriage Association - https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/ The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/ The Legacy of Leo, baby loss - https://thelegacyofleo.com/ 4Louis, miscarriage and stillbirth support - https://4louis.co.uk/ Cardiac Risk in the Young - https://www.c-r-y.org.uk/ Encounters with John Bowlby (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1138667641/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_RRr5DbNNYETGY Ask Me His Name, Elle Wright (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1788700341/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_For5DbKKEYPYA What Does Dead Mean? (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1849053553/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_M1K3DbHA1YFQZ Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Children and grief

    In this episode, Jenni shares what she has learned from bereaved children when a mother or father, sister or brother, or another important person in their life has died. It was bereaved children’s questions that encouraged Jenni to co-write her book with Caroline Jay ‘What does dead mean?’, a resource which helps parents to explain death and dying. A link to buy the book is below.  Jenni also asks Nick to share his experiences of grief following the death of his mother when he was 14. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Winston's Wish - https://www.winstonswish.org/ Childhood Bereavement Network - http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/ Child Bereavement UK (formerly Child Bereavement Trust) - https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Rosie’s Rainbow - https://www.rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk/ Daisy’s Dream - https://www.daisysdream.org.uk/ SeeSaw, grief support - http://www.seesaw.org.uk/ Iain Rennie Hospice Care - https://www.renniegrove.org/ What Does Dead Mean? (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1849053553/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_M1K3DbHA1YFQZ Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m

  4. EPISODE 4

    The unexpected death of a husband and father

    Jenni and Nick are joined by Caren who talks openly about the impact on her and her four children of the death of her husband Leon, who was killed in a car accident. Caren describes to Jenni how her main concern was what she could do or say to help her children, who were aged from 12 to 21, and to understand her own grief. Caren also shares her experiences of counselling and how she and her children benefitted from the support Jenni was able to offer them as a family. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Sudden Death, supporting people after sudden death - http://www.suddendeath.org/ Care for the Family - https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ It's Not Raining, Daddy, It's Happy (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1444754750/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Pur5Db5R69JVC Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    44 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Lisa and Stuart and a heart-breaking decision

    This episode sees Jenni and Nick joined by guests Lisa and Stuart who talk about Hope, their unborn baby with whom there were complications. At the 20-week scan, they learned of major problems in Lisa’s second pregnancy and in the following eight weeks had to make a heart-breaking decision to have a medical termination. Jenni talks to Lisa and Stuart about how they managed their grief as a couple and how they remember Hope to their son Archie. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) – www.arc-uk.org Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association (SANDS) – www.sands.org.uk Tommys Together, for every baby - www.tommys.org Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    The death of a child

    Jenni talks about the grief experienced when a child dies. From the different ways that partners can grieve to how trauma can affect grief, Jenni draws on her lifetime of experience to share what parents have said was important to them following the death of a child at any age. Jenni describes how there is no right or wrong way to grieve. She explains that there are very different and varied ways in which people may behave after the death of a child, in particular that anxiety is often misunderstood and not recognised as a normal part of grieving. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation - http://dsmfoundation.org.uk/ The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Winston's Wish - https://www.winstonswish.org/ Horatio’s Garden - https://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk/ Rosie’s Rainbow - https://www.rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk/ The Danger Age film - https://youtu.be/1JzmlUw49jA David Trickey website - http://davidtrickey.com/resources Nick Cave writing - https://www.theredhandfiles.com/ Nick Cave music - https://www.nickcave.com/ Palliative Care for Children and Families (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0230200028/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_5Sr5DbS8JHZF0 Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    Learning from Naomi and living with a child with a life-limiting illness

    Nicky joins Jenni and Nick to talk about caring for her daughter Naomi who was born with a degenerative and life-limiting condition and about her death at the age of 7. Nicky describes how they explained Naomi’s death and cremation to her brother. As a fellow professional, Nicky tells Jenni how her experience of parenting Naomi has guided her to co-found the charity SLOW and how it has helped in the bereavement group work that they do together. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ SLOW Surviving the loss of your world - https://slowgroup.co.uk/ Rosie's Rainbow Fund - https://www.rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk/ Winston's Wish - https://www.winstonswish.org/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/ Hospice UK - https://www.hospiceuk.org/  Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    Grieving the sudden unexplained death of Rosie

    Jenni and Nick are joined by guests Nikki and Tom, the parents of 2-year-old Rosie, who talk about what happened when she died. They talk to Jenni about their grief and caring for their bereaved son, following the sudden and unexplained death of his younger sister. They discuss the value of the support they received professionally, from their family and about the charity that they have co-founded, SUDC. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood - https://sudc.org.uk/ Childhood Bereavement Network - http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/ Winston's Wish - https://www.winstonswish.org/ The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Rosie’s Rainbow - https://www.rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk/ Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min

  9. EPISODE 9

    Life after Eddie – the sudden infant death of a baby

    Jenni is joined by Jen Reid, Eddie’s mother, who describes the moment she found her baby son had died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), formerly known as cot death. Jen talks about the joy of the first three months of Eddie’s life, her first baby, and the loneliness and despair she and her husband Chris experienced following his death. They sought couples counselling to understand each others’ grief and to support them in their anxiety about getting pregnant and having another baby. Together Jen and Chris have founded the charity Teddy’s Wish. Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - http://www.almt.org/ Teddy's Wish - https://www.teddyswish.org/ The Lullaby Trust - https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/ The Compassionate Friends - https://www.tcf.org.uk/ Cruse Bereavement Care - https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Jenni Thomas website with further resources - http://www.jennithomas.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

As a leading figure and pioneer in child bereavement, Jenni Thomas OBE provides support and guidance to those grieving the death of a baby or child and for children facing the death of a mum or dad, brother or sister. In this series, Jenni shares what children and parents have said was so important to them at this most difficult time in their lives. Jenni is the Patron and bereavement counsellor for the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust. NOTE: Jenni talks openly and sensitively about the death of babies, young children and adults. If you find any areas of the discussions in this series distressing, please seek out a family member, friend or counselling professional who is able to listen and be supportive. Jenni regrets she is unable to respond to requests for counselling. For more information on the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, visit www.almt.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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