Mums who lost children launch podcast to help others

Karen Kinsella and Rebecca Hadman met online while their children were both terminally ill with brain cancer

Two mothers who both lost a child to brain cancer have set up a podcast in a bid to help others grieving for loved ones.

Karen Kinsella, of Hyde, Greater Manchester, and Rebecca Hadman, of Peterborough, met online and were both supported by Derian House Children's Hospice in Chorley, Lancashire, during their children's final weeks.

Called Room to Grieve, the pair described their podcast as a "blend of tears and laughter".

They said they want people to learn more about grief and for help in processing death to eventually become part of the school curriculum. "I don’t think we talk about it enough," Ms Hadman said.

Karen Kinsella's daughter Emily died last year aged 16

Ms Kinsella added: "We want to help people who are experiencing grief, but also those that will experience it."

Her daughter Emily was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2021 and died in June 2023, aged 16.

“Nobody can prepare you when your child is going to die It’s heart-breaking," Ms Kinsella said.

"People often don’t know what to do or say to someone who is grieving. It is an important learning that is missing.

"At the end of the day, each and every one of us will experience grief in our lifetime.

"The podcast also helps us to keep our kids in our lives. Emily and Bradley will always be in our lives. There’s nothing more that parents want to do than talk about their children."

Rebecca Hadman's son, Bradley (centre) died at 18

Ms Hadman's son Bradley died just three weeks before Emily at the age of 18.

Bradley spent his final days in a local adult’s hospice after a crisis intervention by Derian House as he was too ill to visit the children’s hospice almost 200 miles away in Chorley.

She said there were no children’s hospices near where they live.

"If it wasn’t for Derian House we wouldn’t have got Bradley the care he needed," Ms Hadman said.

"We want the podcast to showcase the reality of grief. We want to be real, not tell people how they should feel. And there is no topic off bounds," she added.

Derian House'sLucy Maxwell said the podcast was "raw, authentic, and brave".

"It showcases the reality of grief for two mums who both lost their children only a year ago," she said.

"Their honest conversations will not only provide comfort to other bereaved parents but also educate others about the profound and often unspoken aspects of grief".

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