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‘Help! Mummy is dying. Is it because I didn’t do my homework?’
Children struggle to cope with a parent’s death. They are assailed by feelings of guilt and confusion, and may need professional help.
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Researchers found that kids who lost a parent were more than twice as likely as non-bereaved ones to do badly in school.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY
Gracia Lim
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For years, American broadcaster Anderson Cooper blanked out Father’s Day, which was a painful reminder of losing his father when he was just 10. In an interview in 2021, he said: “I just didn’t acknowledge (Father’s Day). Holidays and especially Father’s Day when you don’t have a dad is not even just bittersweet, it’s inexplicable. The pain was so great for most of my life I didn’t know Father’s Day was this date.”
As a young adult, this grief was compounded by the suicide of his brother. These profound losses drove him to carve out a successful career in journalism, telling the stories of those who have suffered or endured disasters and wars.
