Balloons: helping children get through losing someone they love

Thank you for coming onto my Blog! My name is Zoe and the issue I feel really strongly about is the lack of help for children who have lost someone that they love. I know this may seem a small unimportant issue compared to many others you have seen, and in a way it is. However for people going through grief it is not, few life events have a greater impact on families than the death of a family member, and while life will never be the same again, with help and support children can make a positive and successful transition to adult life. But who will give this support? Balloons is a charity that helps give advice and support to families about coming to terms with what has happened and/or what is going to happen in the future. What I would love to have achieved by the end of this Blog is to have changed your attitudes and opinions towards bereavement and its effects, also I would have loved to have raised awareness of Balloons and hopefully you might donate, fundraise or just tell people about Balloons- you could really help change a family’s life who have lost a family member.

This is me and my brother, Kieran. We had a normal life in every possible way, we went to school, had friends, and argued, a lot, as siblings do. In 2011 he went on a school trip to France, to ski. On the 23rd of February he got entangled in the ski lift and fell into a coma and had brain damage due to the lack of oxygen, he was then airlifted to hospital and we got called to say that we were needed in France, immediately. Kieran was then taken to hospital back in England and then died on the 17th March 2011. He was 14 years old. I was 9.

Balloons have helped me so much throughout the years and I cannot thank them enough, I speak on behalf of everyone who is helped by them to say that the work they do is incredible and that they do not get no way near enough credit for it. Balloons send grief support workers and organise activity days where you can meet other families who have been through a similar situation. Balloons are a charity, they rely on funding, and if they do not have it they will have to close down.  To donate or find out more information go to Balloons

Thank you so much for reading my Blog. There is just a few questions that it would be really nice if you could post a response and answer:

• Have you ever heard of Balloons before? - If yes please may you explain in what way.
• Do you now feel more informed about Balloons and its work?
• Would you now be prepared to do any of the following?

1. Make a donation to Balloons?
2. Start, make or join a fundraising group for Balloons?
3. Train as a grief support worker for Balloons?
4. Tell your friends and family about Balloons?

If you do post a response please may you tell me; where you live ( hometown/village and country)
Thank you again,
Zöe