Once Upon a Smile say that hopefully Rio Ferdinand speaking out will encourage more men to speak out about breaking the devastating news to their children.
Charities in Manchester are praising former Manchester United player, Rio Ferdinand, after speaking out about telling his children about the death of their mother.
In a documentary that will air on BBC One tonight, Ferdinand tells his story of struggling to talk to his children about the tragedy.
"You just don't believe that the worst scenario can happen"@RioFerdy5 lost his wife to cancer in 2015.#BeingMumAndDad. Tomorrow. 9pm. pic.twitter.com/isRz0uc6gP
— BBC One (@BBCOne) March 27, 2017
It’s estimated by the Childhood Bereavement Network that 1 in 20 children experienced the death of one or both of their parents in the UK in 2005, leaving 41,000 dependent children.
Will be watching the Rio Ferdinand documentary tomorrow night. Looks pretty sad. Always liked Rio as a player, respect to him and his family
— MLS Jon (@havingajonny) March 27, 2017
Once Upon a Smile, a Manchester based charity, says that there are ways that they can help families going through a tough time.
Respite is one action that can help a family by giving them quality time together in a different environment, but they also offer group sessions for children allowing them to engage in fun activities with other children who may be going through a similar time.
They go on to say that: “Grieving children often feel alone because they may not know anyone their own age who has experienced the death of a loved one. Friendships made within the group help to validate each other’s feelings and lessens their sense of isolation.”
The charity also thinks that Rio Ferdinand telling his emotional story is a huge step-forward for speaking about bereavement.
In a statement from Once Upon a Smile: “We think it’s amazing how Rio has spoken out about the difficulties he faced following the death of his wife Rebecca and hopefully this will enable other men to feel they can reach out for support. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, losing a loved one can turn someone’s life upside down and having to have those conversations about death and dying with children is one of the hardest things for anyone to do. As we say at Once Upon a Smile ‘its ok to cry, its ok to reach out for support because this doesn’t come with a manual.”
The documentary will air on BBC One at 9pm this evening and features Rio Ferdinand speaking to other families that have been similarly affected to him.
If you’d like to find out more about Once Upon a Smile, or the services that it offers, you can visit: http://www.onceuponasmile.org.uk/ or call 0161 711 0339
Recent Comments