Mimi and Alfie

When we first saw the bear and bag in the room, we weren’t sure if we were going to take it home in the fog of trauma of losing our son Harry McLennan on February 10, 2022. However, the bear has been the beacon of encouragement in dealing with our grief and honouring Harry. I tracked down the bear donor whose advice and support has been incredible in helping me gain perspective, learning to go gently and riding the waves of grief. Someone I’ll be forever grateful for. The bear was also special support on the day Harry was cremated, the bear sat in front of a candle in our son’s honour. A counsellor at Bears of Hope has also given me vital information on returning to work which I’ve passed on to my workplace, which has been hugely helpful. So who knew, a beautiful little bear, could make a world of difference in helping to soften the worst depth of pain a parent can ever know. Thank you Bears of Hope.