If your parent has died

Losing your parent when you're very young is the most devastating experience and if that has happened to you, we are so truly sorry for your loss.

Your life will be affected in so many ways and you will need a lot of support from people around you - both friends and family. This section offer some information about common reactions and feelings that you may experience and a little bit about changes in your life if your parent has died.

There is also a music video by the UK hip hop artist Antix in the section called 'Voices of support'. Antix lost his mum from cancer when he was 16 years old and he has made a beautiful song in memory of her. You may find it comforting to listen to that.

You may also find support in some of the stories here on riprap as many are written by others who have also lost a parent. However, the riprap website is very much focussing on the time when a parent has cancer and you may want to contact organisations who specifically work with people who have lost a loved one. There are dedicated bereavement charities in the UK who support children and young people and we encourage you to have a look at some that are listed in our 'Links' section under 'Bereavement websites'.

However, we hope that you will also have a look at the the topics below to see if you can find anything there to help you cope.

Page updated 19 December 2016