Medical, nursing and ward colleagues from across CHFT attended a moving bereavement training session at CRH last Friday 31 July, where parents Ruth and Chad Grierson shared the story of their son, Henry Grierson, who died by suicide aged 17 in April 2024. 

The session was organised by CHFT's Child Death Service and combined the Grierson family's personal experience with best practice guidance from Child Bereavement UK on supporting families when a child is dying or has died.

During the session, Ruth Grierson spoke candidly about the devastating impact of losing Henry and the family's experience following his death. She shared powerful reflections on how healthcare professionals can help shape families' memories of the most traumatic moments of their lives through compassion, dignity and thoughtful communication. 

Henry's parents have since established the Henry Grierson ADHD & Mental Health Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting neurodivergent boys and young men through education, coaching and advocacy, while also raising awareness of the links between ADHD and suicide. 

The family's willingness to share their story has already helped drive improvements within the Trust, including changes to bereavement environments and the incorporation of their experiences into staff training. 

One of the key messages from the session was that compassionate care does not necessarily require additional resources, but rather simple human acts of kindness and understanding. Ruth told attendees: "It's not money or a new department that softens the trauma but time, warmth, dignity and deciding that the family in front of you matters. All of it is already in your gift. On your very next shift."

Liz Martel, Key Worker Child Death at CHFT, said: "This was an extremely powerful and emotional session that left a lasting impression on everyone who attended. The family's courage in sharing their experience has created an important opportunity for learning and reflection.

"My biggest takeaway was the reminder that while we can often focus on what is lacking in our environments, it is compassion, warmth, dignity and putting ourselves in the shoes of the families we care for that matters most. Those simple human actions can make a profound difference at the most difficult time in someone's life."

"Being a Child Death Key Worker is challenging but it is also an absolute privilege. Hearing from Ruth and Chad about the difference that support can make was incredibly humbling."

The Child Death Service hopes to build on the success of the session by sharing the training more widely across CHFT and with partner organisations across the region, helping ensure that families facing the loss of a child are met with dignity, compassion and understanding. 

For more information about the work of the Henry Grierson ADHD & Mental Health Foundation, visit henrygrierson.org.