On Christmas Eve 2019, my 2 year old son, Oscar, passed away from a brain tumour, leaving my wife and I with our other son who was only 7 weeks old. My world was shattered and left a gaping hole in my life which was filled with love and purpose.
At the hospital, I was handed leaflets on organisations and charities I could go and speak to and deal with the grief and shock of what had happened. I put it all to one side to focus on my immediate family. Over time the pain and trauma was starting to consume my daily life, and I started to go inward on myself. I was scrolling through Instagram one day, and saw a post from Billy Billingham and an event in Snowdonia he supported with a charity called StrongMen. My curiosity grew, and looked into how StrongMen has supported other people in times of grief.
After some time, I decided to reach out. I met with Efrem, the founder, in a coffee shop near my home. We both had a shared experience in losing a child, albeit in different circumstances, but both felt the same pain and being able to talk about how I felt was invaluable. I eventually attended a weekend in Snowden, hiking and camping with other people who has been through similar experiences of loss. There are no judgements, or pity. Just a group of people working together as a team, with the freedom to talk as much or as little as you felt. It was, and is a brotherhood.
Working with StrongMen was one of the best decisions I could make to help deal with what had happened, and form lifelong friends. Also part of the Man2Man Peer Support scheme for other people contacting the charity is something I have been very proud of. I look forward to see how StrongMen can grow and continue to make a huge impact to people's lives.
Ross Riley
