Bereavement support for your family

We aim to support families in Stockport and the surrounding areas who have lost a child under the age of 16. Every family and every situation is different. Whatever the circumstances, you will always be heard with kindness, understanding and without judgement. If you are reaching out on behalf of a family member, friend or someone you care about, that is absolutely fine too. Sometimes the person going through the loss may not be ready or able to ask for help themselves, so we are always happy to speak with someone supporting them.

Where we are able to, Lync to the Stars aims to help towards some of the additional costs that come with saying goodbye to a child. This may include things such as:

• Flowers
• Orders of service
• Keepsakes and memory items
• Photography or video
• Other personal touches that may mean something to the family

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to help in every situation, but we will always listen and consider where we feel we can make a difference. Sometimes that may be financial support, sometimes practical help, and sometimes it may simply be helping point someone in the right direction.

Lync to the Stars is still very new. We are only a little over a year into this journey and, if we are completely honest, we are still finding our feet and working out exactly what Lync to the Stars can become. At the same time, we are still living our own nightmare and trying to navigate life without our little boy. We are not professionals, counsellors or bereavement specialists. What we do have is an understanding that, thankfully, not many people ever have to experience. We know how quickly life can change. We know how overwhelming everything can feel. And we know how much the smallest act of kindness can mean when your whole world has fallen apart. We also have an amazing team around us at Lync to the Stars, made up mainly of family and people close to us who know exactly what Lync means to us and why everything we do matters so much. We will not always get everything right and we will not always be able to help, but we will always try to do what feels right, treat people with kindness and keep doing good in Lync's name.

As Lync to the Stars grows, one of the things we also aim to do is support the hospitals, nurses and teams who helped Lync and supported us as a family. We will never forget the care, kindness and support we received. Our hope is that, as we grow, we can give something back by helping with things such as comfort items, memory-making resources and other support that may help children and families during their time in hospital. We are still learning what this may look like and speaking with the people involved, but it is something very close to our hearts.

Everything we do comes back to Lync. Our beautiful boy is the reason this exists. We are still learning, still growing, still grieving and still trying to find our way through life without him. But if we can keep doing good in his name, help another family where we can, support the people who once supported us, and keep Lync's name shining, then that means everything to us. We cannot change what happened to our family. But we can choose to carry Lync's love forward. And that is exactly what we will keep trying to do.