Grief

How I prepared my son for the death of his mum

It's a heartbreaking sentence to hear from a six-year-old.

When Tina was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2010, five months after Lucas was born, she and her husband Aaron were devastated.

But after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy, she was as doctors called her "a miracle" and well for another three years — until the cancer returned.

"We were married for almost 14 years," Aaron said.

"I was worried Tina would never hear Lucas say his first words, call her mum ... that she would die before he had fully developed that bond.

'The grief can damage your mental health'

This gathering in Nottingham looks like any group of friends, but the adults have one thing in common - they have all been widowed.

Way: Widowed and Young is a peer support organisation, introducing people in similarly tragic situations to others who can understand their complex grief.

All the members present agree that its regular meetings and internet chatroom have been an essential part of coping in the days and years since their bereavements.