By Rosie Hunnam
whose parents both died from cancer within three years of each other
1. Losing my Dad meant losing part of my Mum too. She loved him so much that she wasn't the same person anymore. Dad being gone made me see how strong their team dynamic and partnership really was.
2. Finding out someone is going to die caused me to start grieving before they'd actually gone. This is natural and has taken years to stop feeling guilty about.
3. Being with someone when they die is a privilege. Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things I'll ever do.
4. Talking about dead people keeps them alive in my memory. Encouraging others to talk about them, rather than avoid the subject, was the best help anyone could give me to help me grieve.
5. Being an orphan at 30 sucks. The term orphan sucks.
About Rosie Hunnam
Rosie is 30 years old and lives in Nottingham. She lived in Swansea, Carmarthen, Cardiff and London before returning home to Nottingham a few months before her mum was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
As well as dealing with the death of both of her parents, she went through a divorce after being married for just a year.
She’s now settled in Nottingham with her new partner, his two children and their cat Chickpea, who was rescued from the roadside at seven weeks old. She runs a higher education consultancy company, volunteers on her local skatepark committee (her dad was the first chairman) and is a charity trustee. You can follow her on Twitter.
