An illustrated book encouraging children to speak openly about their experiences of bereavement has been produced by a North-East based charity. Local author Victoria Downes and illustrator Helen Turner have joined forces to create Will O’Burn and the Friends Who Remember, a gentle, hopeful story designed to help young people and their families talk about loss, love and remembering those who have died.
The story, commissioned by County Durham’s Willow Burn Hospice, complements the charity’s children’s counselling service and follows mascot Will O’Burn as he learns about how his animal friends deal differently with the grief of losing someone they love.
Following the death of her best friend, Victoria wanted to write a book to support young families when faced with grief and she was honoured to be asked by the team at Willow Burn to write theirs:
She said: “The purpose of this book is to bring comfort to young people struggling and feeling sad, and for adults who don’t know what to say to their children, it can be read together and some of the interactions Will O’Burn has with the other animals can be used as a way of understanding their own grief and prompt conversations that might otherwise be tricky.
“Initially, because Will hasn’t experienced grief, he doesn’t understand how the other animals feel, but as the story develops, he gets to know that grief affects people in different ways, and the characters feel a wide range of emotions.
Helen’s mother spent the last days of her life in Willow Burn Hospice, in Lanchester, and her family were appreciative of the care she received during her hardest days.
Helen said: “When my mum died, there was a build-up to the time where we knew we were going to lose her and it was such a busy time. It wasn’t until everything quietened down that it hit me that we had lost a massive part of our lives. That’s when the grief set in.
“As a family, we experienced a range of emotions including being sad and angry at different times, and that is a big message we wanted to get across in the book that grief hits everyone differently.
“I always wanted to give something back to Willow Burn Hospice for the amazing care my mum received, but I never thought I could ever return. As it turns out, I’ve been back so many times since we lost my mum because it’s this amazing place that helps make the worst times more bearable.
“What we all want to achieve through this book is to let people know it’s ok to talk about loved ones who have died to keep their memory alive. There’s a misconception that talking about death is taboo and we want to help change that to help families through the grieving process.”
Rachel Quince, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Willow Burn Hospice, said about the intention of the book:
“We know we can’t reach every child across County Durham who may need bereavement counselling but what we can do is provide a resource like this that helps children and young people begin to understand and express their feelings.
This book gives families something accessible and practical that they can use together, whether a child is experiencing loss themselves or supporting someone close to them.
It forms an important part of our Compassionate Willow Burn strategy, which is all about helping our community feel more confident in talking about death, dying and bereavement, and ensuring that no one feels they have to face those conversations alone.”
Will O’Burn and the Friends Who Remember was launched by Willow Burn Hospice on 18 June and is currently on sale at the hospice, in its shops in Stanley, Consett and Lanchester and on the charity’s website. The book has been funded by Amethyst Homes, Conside Masonic Lodge, Consett Rotary, Durham Freemasons, Wolsingham School and Willow Burn Hospice.
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Willow Burn is located in Lanchester, County Durham. The hospice provides palliative and end of life care to people living with a life limiting illness in County Durham through in-patient care, day services, bereavement and counselling support and education for families, carers and the wider community including grief workshops and advanced care planning.
www.willowburnhospice.org.uk/will-o-burn-and-the-friends-who-remember
Photo:
Author Victoria Downes, illustrator Helen Turner and Will O’Burn launch a new children’s book dealing with bereavement.
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