SIBLING RESOURCES
The SUDC team sends a huge, warm hug to any parent or family member who is supporting a bereaved sibling.
Professional and peer support
Our partner, the SUDC Foundation, has excellent resources for siblings and grandparents. If you haven’t already, please register with us to access both the SUDC Foundation and SUDC UK support services, including SUDC UK events for families. Discussing matters like supporting bereaved siblings with other families who truly understand can be incredibly helpful.
The SUDC Foundation has also produced a toolkit for schools with resources on how teachers can support surviving siblings and general grief information for coping with any loss a student may experience.
Support Organisations
Find local support for a sibling by visiting The Good Grief Trust or contact one of the national organisations listed below. Please contact us if you would like further advice or are struggling to find help.
Child bereavement UK – a huge array of resources for siblings, young people and schools. Support through Child Bereavement UK professionals may also be available.
Child Bereavement UK’s resources include an insightful video called ‘The invisible suitcase‘. They hope this video will ‘help children understand that their feelings are normal, and know that whilst grief is something that always stays with you, by reaching out for support it is something that you can learn to manage in your life’. Another video called ‘Puddle Jumping’ helps explain how children grieve differently from adults.
Winston’s Wish – an charity dedicated to support and resources for bereaved siblings.
Cruse Bereavement Care – resources for parents and local support groups, some aimed at bereaved children.
Medical Resources
Medicines for children – practical advice about medicines.
Medicines for Children is a partnership programme by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists (NPPG) and WellChild.
Medical Alert Cards
Even mild illness can make families affected by Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood extremely anxious. If you would like to receive this informative, credit card size card to help support these difficult conversations with medical professionals please contact us. These cards were adapted from the SUDC Foundation version for use within the UK.
Siblings Attending Funerals
There is helpful information for parents on this subject from Winston’s Wish and Child Bereavement UK
Podcasts
Our wonderful patron, Jenni Thomas OBE (founder of Child Bereavement UK), has created a series of podcasts about Child Bereavement.
These are available from all podcast providers or directly from Jenni’s website and include various topics surrounding child bereavement, including unexplained death, children’s grief and supporting siblings. We are grateful for Jenni’s ongoing support of SUDC UK.
Books
Books can support a supportive resource for conversations with grieving children. SUDC UK has a small library of books we can share to help you choose a book which best suits your family. Please contact us to enquire. This book, Where are you Lydie? written by Emma Poore, is a beautiful example of one that you may find helpful. Other comprehensive booklists are available from Child Bereveament UK, Winston’s Wish and our patron, Jenni Thomas and the SUDC Foundation.
If you need help
SUDC UK understands how important support is for siblings and their families. Our co-founders have experience of sibling’s grief, family screening and pregnancy following SUDC and would like you to know that you are not alone. We may be able to further advise in regards to resources and accessing help.
One SUDC dad, Tom, shared with us:
” There are times when we have frequent deep and difficult discussions with my son about his sister. These phases don’t often last for long; they’re heartbreaking but we always get through these times. Talking openly as a family seems to help. The nights can be tough and professional help has been incredibly useful. We had to speak to a few people to find the right ‘fit’ for our family and my son’s needs. After hard conversations with my son, we make it part of our routine that we each have a little piece of chocolate to help us transition back to discussing something different.”
Please do not hesitate to contact us.
Once you are fully registered, we also recommmend posting in the SUDC Foundation closed support groups for understanding and advice from other families who have experience supporting children affected by SUDC.