For Allison, the annual Weekend of Remembrance and Hope each September is a profound source of comfort and connection. The weekend offers families a safe and supportive space to honour their loved ones alongside others who truly understand. Allison's experience highlights the meaning and value of sharing memories and finding solace in a comforting and accepting environment.
Sixteen years ago, I lost my lovely daughter, Amie. She was just eighteen and had Mucolipidosis, one of the rarer conditions supported by the MPS Society. Even though it’s been many years, I still think about her every single day. She’s never far from my thoughts and always tucked safely in my heart.
Every year, I go to the Weekend of Remembrance and Hope for bereaved families and it’s hard to put into words how much it means to me.
Some people might imagine it’s a sad or heavy weekend but it really isn’t. Yes, there are tears, how could there not be but there’s also laughter, warmth and such a special sense of understanding that’s hard to find anywhere else.
We stay in a lovely Warner hotel near the woods, with good food, beautiful surroundings and entertainment in the evenings if you want to join in. There’s no pressure you can take part as much or as little as you like.
It’s such a comforting setting and it gives me the time and space to stop and remember Amie in a way that I don’t always allow myself to in the busyness of everyday life.
When your child is alive, your world is full of professionals, appointments and constant contact with people who know your situation. When your child passes away, that network slowly disappears and you can start to feel quite alone in your grief. The Weekend of Remembrance and Hope gives that sense of belonging back.
You’re surrounded by people who just get it. You don’t have to explain anything they understand in a way that no one else really can.
For me, that connection is priceless. We share stories, memories and some moments of understanding where no words are needed. Sometimes we cry, sometimes we laugh but always, there’s a bond between us that’s hard to describe, it’s a comfort that only those who’ve experienced this kind of loss can truly know.
I’m so grateful to the MPS Society for continuing to organise this weekend each year. It means so much to know that even though our children are no longer here, we, their families, are not forgotten. The Weekend of Remembrance and Hope gives us a space to honour their memory, to find peace and to feel part of something again.
The Wood of Remembrance and Hope holds a very special place in my heart. Losing a child brings a kind of pain and heartache that never truly goes away it changes you forever. The world keeps turning, life goes on around you but there’s always that space, that ache, that love with nowhere to go. For me, knowing there’s a peaceful place in Sherwood Forest where trees have been planted in memory of our children brings great comfort.
When I visit the wood, I feel such a deep sense of peace. There’s something healing about being surrounded by nature, I feel that our children are somehow close by.
Standing there among the trees, reading the names and messages, I’m reminded that we’re not alone in our grief. Every tree represents a story, a child deeply loved and missed and a family whose hearts will always carry them.
Losing a child is the deepest pain there is, it changes you in ways words can’t describe. The heartache can feel unbearable at times and it’s hard to imagine that anyone could truly understand but at the weekend, you’ll find people who do understand, people who have felt that same pain and somehow found ways to keep going while still holding their child close in their hearts. You’ll be welcomed with open hearts and gentle understanding.
There’s no right or wrong way to feel and no expectations. It’s just a space where you can be surrounded by people who know what it means to love and to lose a child and to keep their memory alive with love, courage and care.
How you can help
We are thrilled to be taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge once again this year with the potential to raise a whopping £25k for the MPS Society! These funds will go towards funding our amazing family events over 2026.
