Bereavement: ‘It can be really overwhelming to deal with grief’

Eighteen-year-old Megan, also from Regent House, lost her dad when she was only 10.

She was about to move from primary school to post-primary at the time.

“Going into secondary school where nobody knows you, nobody knows your circumstances, it was difficult for me,” she said.

“I felt maybe a little bit alone knowing that there were questions going to be asked – about potentially family questions or personal questions.”

Megan said her mum the school aware of the family’s loss before she started there.

“It was kind of kept to myself, but I knew there was help there if I needed it and I knew the teachers I could go to.

“It’s really important that students are made to feel comfortable, and that they don’t need to feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about themselves.”