A MUM who lost her husband feels like “life is worth living again” after starting her own bereavement service.

Fiona Wadforth, 51, lost her husband Matt, a team captain at Braintree Rugby Club, in March 2014 after his brave fight against acute myeloid leukaemia.

Their son Harry was just ten at the time of his passing.

With 16 years of experience working in children’s mental health, Fiona has set up Next Chapter Bereavement to work with children and families who are similarly bereaved.

Brave- Fiona lost her husband Matt in 2014, after his brave battle against acute myeloid leukaemia. Brave- Fiona lost her husband Matt in 2014, after his brave battle against acute myeloid leukaemia. (Image: Fiona Wadforth)

She said: “I feel it is a real privilege to offer this service.

“It’s working with people in such a time of being really vulnerable, and I know that to reach out to speak with me is often a really difficult first step.”

After a free initial phone call, Fiona meets the family and gets a sense of what they need and who is best to work with.

She said: “I’m very open to working with parents and children together, and I have experience in that.

“As I have lots of experience working in lots of different ways, I can provide a bespoke service.

“I want to be collaborative, to listen to people’s stories and what they need, and adapt my services.”

Happy - Fiona's son Harry is proud of her for starting her service. Happy - Fiona's son Harry is proud of her for starting her service. (Image: Fiona Wadforth)

Fiona’s son Harry, 20, has “been enormously resilient.”

She said: “He’s very proud that I’ve come full circle to start my business now.

“He’s overcome so many hurdles and now I get to help other widowed parents and children overcome the same things now.

"I have been through the really difficult times and so has Harry. But we’ve come through together."

Fiona continued: "It's really important for me to get across to other widowed parents that I didn't always feel this optimistic about the future, but that change is possible.

“I feel so passionately that there’s life after partner loss—I’ve just come back from a two-week trip with friends. I started a choir in my village.

“For many years, I didn’t know what to do and I was frightened, but these last four or five years I’ve got all these things I want to do.

“I feel like life is worth living again.”

For more information visit nextchapterbereavement.co.uk.