A MOTHER whose 12-year-old son was killed in a traffic accident is launching a bereavement support group to help others who have lost a child.

Dinah Perkins, 63, from Long Wittenham, and husband Barry Perkins, 69, lost son Nicholas during the Ride and Stride charity cycle event in 1992.

The St Birinus School pupil was taking part in the event with his family when he was knocked over while crossing the road to reach a cycle path.

Mrs Perkins, also mother to Tim, 35, said: “To lose a child is the worst possible thing that can happen to anybody and you think you can’t survive. You think your world has come to an end.

“We want to give people hope that they will survive the worst possible tragedy.

“We feel strong enough to take hold of someone else’s hand and take them through their journey.”

Nicholas was rushed to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after the accident, where he was placed on life support, but died the next day.

About two months after his death, Mrs Perkins and her family came across bereavement support organisation The Compassionate Friends.

The family began to attend the charity’s meetings, where they forged lifelong friendships with other bereaved families.

Grandmother-of-two Mrs Perkins said the group gave her hope for the future.

Oxford Mail:

  • Nicholas Perkins

She said: “You don’t expect to lose your child. It happens out of order and it’s a total shock and when it happens to you, you think you’re the only one it happens to.

“But we realised that it happens to lots and lots of people.

“It took us a long time to be able to learn how to live again and become a three-legged stool instead of a three-legged table that kept falling over.”

The Compassionate Friends group folded five years ago, but its work has inspired Mrs Perkins, a retired nurse manager, to relaunch a group in the county.

She hopes to hold informal group meetings for bereaved families. They will specifically help parents who have lost their child, or those who have lost a sibling. The first meeting is due to be held in November. The time, date and location of the meeting will depend on those who contact Mrs Perkins for support within the next month.

She said: “I think it’s essential for people to know that they are not alone.

“It’s only by talking to other bereaved parents that you really understand what they are going through.”

 

 

 

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