Skye’s Story – Supporting children through bereavement

Skye is one of Rowans Meerkat Gang, she is one of nearly 1,000 children supported by the Rowans Meerkat service since it started.  Here Skye bravely tells us about her Nanny who died in 2016. 

“It is so amazing to be able to write something to tell people a bit of my story. I first came to the Rowans when my Nanny Vicki was diagnosed with her fourth cancer in her lifetime – Pancreas cancer. This was devastating but what later on was even more devastating was when we were told by the hospital it had spread too far and there was nothing they could do. She was brought in to the Rowans Hospice to have a comfortable end of her life and this is when I started to have counselling sessions with a super kind lady at the Rowans called Sarah. She really helped me and now I am doing everything I can do in return to help everyone in the hospice.

I now go to anything to do with the Rowans: sponsored walks to raise money, I have gone to parties, done photo shoots, everything that is to do with the Rowans Hospice. A few months ago my school English class were given the piece of homework to write a sonnet (a piece of poetry with specific rules; 10 syllables a line, every other line rhymes, rhyming couplet at the end, to do with something/someone you love) This is what I chose to write:

Nan’s War

I love my Nan I see her everyday

A great nature walk is our favourite thing

She is best and perfect in every way

When the C word was heard our hearts thumping

That night the stars bright and green be the grass

When the call came, threw our hearts in the bin

Cancer is a bridge that some have to pass

It was war for my nan and she fell in

And then we went to the Rowans Hospice

Who gave my nan a happy loving home

I met with counsellor Sarah, lossless

I started to speak out my sad dome

We wish we could feel your loving sweet touch

You will always be missed and loved so much.

This poem I read out to my class, I couldn’t have done that without the Rowans help.

The Rowans inspired me to do this and now I could never forget about the Rowans. If someone in your family is living through cancer and you are filled with emotions and can’t speak about it, start counselling with the Meerkats – it will really help; and if you are the one who is not going to make it through cancer the Rowans is a lovely place to live the rest of your life. I can speak out about my nan all because the help the Meerkats gave me.”