After a child dies, parents' grief

Every parents grief is as unique, complex and surprising as the child they are mourning. It will grow and change, and will require a great deal of your care and attention throughout your life.

Jenni Thomas

A book for grieving parents

When our son Angus tragically drowned in 2006, just before his second birthday, life as we knew it shattered. In those dark early days, it was Jenni, then an NHS bereavement counsellor, whose unwavering kindness and quiet strength helped us begin to comprehend the enormity of our loss. Her support shaped not only our healing journey, but the very foundation of The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (ALMT), which we created to support grieving families around the world. Grief is unique to each person, but community, understanding, and purpose can offer a lifeline.
Published by the ALMT, Jenni’s book brings those lifelines together with clarity, honesty, and grace. For many, the words of Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning, that suffering, though unavoidable, can be transformed through purpose, resonate deeply. Jenni’s work reflects that same belief, that while the pain of loss never fully disappears, it can evolve, soften, and eventually give rise to strength, connection, and even hope. Nearly twenty years on, our son’s memory is no less treasured, but the grief has reshaped into something we carry with compassion, thanks in large part to Jenni’s extraordinary insight. We believe this book can offer the same gift to others. All proceeds from the book will go directly to supporting grief and bereavement support projects funded by the ALMT.

Nick Lawson

About the book

How do you continue to live after your child has died? Many parents feel they will never recover from the enormity of this loss, regardless of their baby or child’s age and the circumstances of their death. It’s true that life will almost certainly never be the same again. But there is a future where you can and will live in a more peaceful acceptance of what has happened; where you won’t always feel so broken. This book does not promise to make it better or to cure your sadness. It is here simply to help you keep going in the face of the truth you have been left with.

By Jenni Thomas OBE with Sarah G Thompson, inside this thoughtful book, you’ll find the real stories of other parents who have experienced this very worst of losses, and hear about how they have continued to love and parent their children even after their death. You’ll also find words of comfort and inspiration, information and gentle guidance gleaned from Jenni’s lifetime spent helping parents and families to live after a child has died.

‘A fabulous and rare resource for the worst of situations. Jenni has a lifetime of experience which has been distilled into this book which can be a small crumb of comfort and hope to families who have been bereaved. It can be a useful quiet gift to families who are going through bereavement too.’

‘Just wanted to reach out and say I finally mustered up the courage to open the book you kindly sent me……I read 85 pages in 45 min and cried my eyes out, just because I felt so seen, thank you so much for sending it to me’

‘The book was like opening up a shining light for me, I’m yet to read the second half but it had me gripped!’

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Help us help families this Christmas….

Ultra Challenge Series 2025

Congratulations to the Hairless Bikers…

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A week’s work experience with the ALMT …

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