'I lost my baby and husband five days apart - my world crumbled but now I help others'

Rhian Mannings suffered unimaginable heartache when her son George died suddenly just a week after his first birthday. But more tragedy was to follow when her husband Paul took his own life five days later, unable to cope with the loss.

After experiencing such a horrific ordeal, Rhian decided she wanted to help other , struggling to cope with her own loss. She tells : "The easy bit is the tears and sadness. The most difficult is the physical pain, flashbacks and not recognising your new self in the mirror every morning."

Rhian's son died suddenly on February 22, 2012 after falling unwell with no warning. "He was crawling around as usual and playing with his toys when he suddenly collapsed on the floor," she says. "His body just went backwards.

READ MORE:

"I got up slowly. I wasn’t panicking as I didn’t think there was anything to worry about, but when I tried to pick him up his body was limp, like a dead weight. That’s when I started screaming for Paul to come into the room. He looked, took him off me and said 'Call 999, call 999'."

As Paul knelt down by George, the urgency of the situation became apparent. He was rushed to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and the amazing staff fought so hard to save him.

He died two hours later, leaving Rhian and Paul's turned upside down. "Unfortunately, the department had no family facility, no quiet area, nowhere for us to say our goodbyes in privacy," she says.

"They finally found somewhere. We followed a nurse down a corridor, as she carried our dead son in her arms. We eventually left George and went home to where our lives were, five hours previously, complete and full of happiness.

"It quickly became apparent that there was no support available to us. My family phoned national bereavement organisations and got nothing but answer phones.

"We were told we would hear from people and never did, and nobody came. I couldn’t understand that when I had children I had so much support from health visitors and midwives, but when one of your children dies nobody comes."

Five days later, Paul - described by Rhian as "the most amazing daddy and husband" - walked out of their family home and didn't return.

"We received a knock at the door to inform us that he had taken his own life," Rhian explains. "The police were heavily involved for weeks, but once again no support was offered."

That same year, Rhian launched her charity - 2wish - to provide immediate and ongoing support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected loss of a child or young person aged 25 and under. Support includes memory boxes, immediate emotional and practical support, counselling and play therapy, group support and residential retreats.

2wish work with and emergency services to ensure that if someone does experience the tragic loss of a young loved one, "families are not left alone and there is someone there to pick them up and support them". Since being founded in 2012, the charity has helped over 1,000 families all across Wales.

For her work, Rhian won a Pride of Britain award in 2020. Reflecting on this experience, she says: "I received my Pride of Britain in 2020, which was a massive and complete shock. We were still in lockdown but it was all done very secretly so I didn’t pick up on it.

"When Michael Sheen presented me with the award, it was truly humbling. It’s always bittersweet because it took losing Paul and George for people to talk about sudden bereavement in children and young people. It was amazing."

Local heroes like Rhian could land up to £2,500 to help them boost their communities, thanks to a new fund that has been set up to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the. Grants of £2,500, £1,000 and £500 are available as part of the Pride of Britain Fund’s £100,000 giveaway for good causes, and you can nominate the people or groups who you think should receive it.

It could be someone who devotes their time to make sure older people have companionship and a warm meal, or an unsung hero who spruces up the high street with flowers. It may also be a sports club, where volunteers give kids a safe space to play, or a youth group putting people on the path to a brighter future.

The £100,000 giveaway is part of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Daily Pride of Britain Awards. The fund, a charity that aims to spread the Pride of Britain spirit, was set up to help charities and community organisations across the UK.

The Pride of Britain team will create a shortlist, but the final decision will rest with local communities all over the country, so you will be able to vote on who gets the funding in your area. To apply, go to to access the online form.

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email , visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

READ MORE: