While many children and young people come to Just ‘B’ following a bereavement, our team is also here to support them if a parent or loved one is living with a terminal diagnosis.
This pre-bereavement support can be accessed as soon as is needed and for as long as is needed. When that person dies, the bereavement support is then seamless, and a relationship of trust has already been built.
Here, 16-year-old Isea Flatt shares how support from Jenna at Just ‘B’ is helping her come to terms with dad Ian’s terminal diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease.
Isea said: “Jenna and Just ‘B’ are just there for me if I need them.
“It helps me to understand that everything that I feel is completely normal. Jenna has helped me realise I can do this and I can get through it.
“It really helps having someone outside of the situation to talk to as there are things which I don’t want to talk to my family about, for fear of upsetting them. And there aren’t any other people I know in this situation so you can feel quite alone. I can talk to her whenever I need to.”
Jenna Collins, Children and Young People’s Service Manager, said: “We support lots of young people like Isea. We take our time to build up the rapport and relationship to offer a safe space for them to share how they are feeling, and we are there for them as long as they need this special support.”
