Desperately sad story of the assisted suicide of a grieving mother

Or not "save" if its an accident or fatal disease but just learn mor about grief in general? I think my first knowledge of grief came from losing a pet. Then a grandma. No one taught me what to do with those feelings. It was ignored and no matter your age, you were expected to deal with it alone.

Macaydia

Does anyone here think death, disease, depression and suicide should be mandatory curriculum in schools. If children were taught preparedness classes for depression the same way they are taught preparedness for fires and earthquakes, would that save any of them in the future? Could children be taught the subtle signs of dangerous depression and have a set of practiced plans to save a friend or sibling?

No. Teachers have a hard enough job already and in any case are not qualified (nobody is) to teach what is essentially unreachable.

Likewise. My parents had their own reasons for denying death and loss however. Which I now know and understand. It was because of what had happened to them.

I think young people do have a better knowledge and language to express their feelings: however there is limited support for doing so. Still more for boys/men, perhaps. (Given suicide levels of younger men).

Does faith help? For some.

Macaydia, if I am reading this correctly, it was introduced into schools in 2025. It makes very interesting reading, for of course it demands a lot of teachers who may not be at ease with it themselves.

www.thestillmethod.co.uk/news/september-2026-the-grief-education-requirement-most-teachers-dont-know-about-yet

(proposed in 2025, this article 2026, for next school year, it really does make for relevant reading for much discussed above)

I think we, as parents, are the best people to prepare our children for sad events like illness, depression, death and grieving. They should know that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and we have to prepare them for situations that may occur, with a gentle drip feed of life's ups and downs and let them be guided by how we deal with things in times of crisis. Letting them know that you are always available to listen is reassuring, bottling up feelings doesn't do anyone any good. It's good to talk.

That's so true in an ideal way, but not all families are able to manage it sadly. Often it has to be someone else who turns out to be the 'helpful listener", because feeling truly heard is probably the most important things of all, certainly intitally.

It will be truly good if the new school plans are effective. For the older teenagers, being able to cope with most of what has been written above would be wonderful, wouldn't it? But a big ask for teachers.

In the USA (tho being cut down atm sadly) as far as I understand, many schools have a counsellor.

LOUISA1523

It makes for very sad reading ....you can't imagine feeling that the 'better' option is death....but we don't walk in her shoes

Other peoples shoes do not fit anyway. They are uncomfortable in all the wrong places.

I am torn apart by this case. When I read of a parent or parents loosing an only child, I find it impossibly to imagine their life long agony at the loss af all that might have been. I saw my parents agony at losing one of three children, more than that I cannot say.

But, but, but. The newspage that told this mother's death, may she rest in peace, also included the story of a Mexican mother going to her son's home with a gun and shooting her DiL, saying 'He (her son) is mine not yours' . Can we love too much and where is the dividing line?

GrannyGravy13

I cannot imagine her pain at losing her son, but going to Dignitas due to a broken heart doesn’t seem right to me.

Well that’s ok, you don’t have to.
It was right for this lady and that’s what counts.

No society doesn't work like that.
Well I mean if you believe that everyone's individuals right trumps everything else then yes I suppose it can.

Galaxy

No society doesn't work like that.
Well I mean if you believe that everyone's individuals right trumps everything else then yes I suppose it can.

A large majority of the uk population agrees with euthanasia, poll after poll supports that.
A handful of unelected people filibustered and talked it out.
Thats not how society works!

It is hiw our current democratic system works. Many many people ( including disability groups) thought it was a terrible bill, led by someone who didn't have the capacity to discuss the complex issues.

Motherduck Your words are lovely.
I am sorry for your loss. Best wishes from a fellow grieving mother.

Found my boy dead 10 years ago.The heartache will never go away 😭

That's terribly tragic, Whingey. So sorry for your loss. May your son rest in peace and I hope that one day you will be reunited with your darling boy 🙏.

I saw him in a dream.Told him I will be with him when I can

Whingey

I saw him in a dream.Told him I will be with him when I can

I'm terribly sorry to hear this. Sometimes dreams are very powerful indeed.

That's so lovely. When I have dreams of loved ones who have passed on, it is very comforting, but then I feel rather deflated when I wake up, realising it was just a dream. It is important to talk of them often, I find that is when I then dream about them, like they're thanking you for still keeping them in conversation. Grief is the price you pay for loving, loss is a terrible thing, it feels so final, but I do hang on to the hope that we will all be together again some day, that gives me comfort. I hope you believe that too, there has to be more than this 💐.

Whingey - I am so very sorry to read of your tragedy.

What a terrible shock for you Whingey
I am so sorry.

Whingey - what a shock it must have been - so sorry 😢

Interesting article Wyllow3. Why do schools put this requirement on teachers? When I thought grief care should be taught in schools, I didn't mean that teachers should pay to become therapists. I am very much against that ! I thought the schools could employ a full time (educated) mental health counselor.

www.thestillmethod.co.uk/news/september-2026-the-grief-education-requirement-most-teachers-dont-know-about-yet 😠

The idea of young people learning about grief in school makes sense, but it needs doing with care by someone who feels confident in what they are doing and I can understand that many teachers might find this hard, especially as virtually all will have suffered their own losses and may find it difficult to discuss the topic.
There is a limit to what teachers should be asked to do and outside input might be needed.
The information that parents receive when a child enters the school could usefully ask that school be informed about any bereavement or illnesses that happens in the family so they can respond accordingly.

I would say very generally is fine but no absolutely not to anything specific, we wouldn't ask teachers to treat a broken leg in the classroom.

Galaxy

I would say very generally is fine but no absolutely not to anything specific, we wouldn't ask teachers to treat a broken leg in the classroom.

And we wouldnt ask teachers to get training so that they could treat those broken legs. Thats why the schools employed a school nurse.