Hannah Fisher from Sutton Coldfield said that the triple tragedy left ‘three large holes’ in her children’s lives: Olivia Bryant, 11, Lucy Bryant, eighteen, and Jamie, four years old.
Three children are struggling to accept the death of their uncle, grandad, and dad in just eight weeks.
Hannah Fisher, 34, stated that the triple tragedy left ‘three large holes’ in her children’s lives: Olivia Bryant, 11, Lucy Bryant, eighteen, and Jamie, four years old.
On September 6, the siblings lost their 61 year-old father before their step-grandad. ‘Pops’Carl Whiting, age 59, was killed by liver failure, which led to a heart attack in October 4.
Their uncle James Driver Fisher tragically lost his life in a car accident at 37 years old on October 31st.
Hannah told BirminghamLiveThe deaths left them in “absolute shock and devastation”.
She said: “It’s such a huge loss to all of us, it’s left three large hollows in my children’s lives.
“We’re all in absolute shock and devastation. It’s like someone has pressed the reset button.”
The Sutton Coldfield teacher assistant was separated from her dad. She requested that details about his death be kept confidential.
She continued: “It was Olivia’s first day at secondary school when her dad died. That’s hard enough as it is. My stepdad, ‘Poppy,’ died. He was everything to them, and so was my older brother. We’re such a close family, we all saw each other all the time.
“The children have been brilliant. They are what’s keeping us going. They attend Catholic school, and it is a great way to help them develop a faith. They believe they are watching over them from heaven.
“My children also lost their step-brother Mason in a car accident last year. He was 13. It was their first funeral.
“It feels like, particularly for my four-year-old, all he knows is people dying. He’s so scared someone else is going to die.”
Hannah says that the heartbreaking tragedies have understandably affected her children’s confidence levels.
“Their confidence is a huge boost from being such confident children.” said Hannah, whose stepdad was a retired paramedic and forensics nurse, and brother James was a journalist.
“My son used to love going to nursery but now he hates being away from me. They cannot understand what’s happened. It’s hard for anyone to understand that, in the space of a couple of months, three huge male figures have gone from our lives.”
One of Hannah’s friends Tania Henry has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family go out and make some new memories together.
Tania wrote on the page: “Nothing that anyone can say or do can take away the heartache they are all feeling at this time, but I wanted my friend and her children, her mom and her brother’s wife and child and her other brother, partner and daughter to all go away somewhere lovely, to have that bonding time and to remember how special their loved ones were to them.
“Even if it’s £1 – please donate so this family can have something positive to share in this tragic year. Thank you so much.”
Hannah said: “Tania set it up so we can have some money to make some memories together. She said no-one knows what to say or do so if they can donate, they feel they are helping us where words just feel a bit empty and pointless.
“To lose so many people is something that you don’t often see.
“My stepdad Carl’s death was quick and unexpected. Although we knew he wasn’t well, no one could have predicted that. My brother died in a car accident. We were just beginning our grief.
“James died the day before my son’s birthday and three days before his own birthday. He always wanted everyone to get together for his birthday, he loved having people around. We ended up having an open house on his birthday and everyone was there.”
She added: “We’d lost my dad 14 years ago when I was 20 and James was really like my dad, the life and soul of the party. He had run 11 marathons this year to raise £1,000 for John Taylor Hospice.
“He was fit and healthy and was always trying to help people, especially his family. He’s been a huge support to me over the years.
“He lived in Netherton but we always saw each other, especially when he had his daughter Annabelle, who is now seven.
“We’ve got amazing friends and family. The kids have an older brother, Adam, who has been brilliant. He’ll come and take them out for a bit so we can grieve and have a bit of a cry without them seeing us. But, as a family, we don’t tend to hide stuff like that. We let them know it’s OK to feel angry or sad.
“Now we’re anticipating Christmas without them. The children would have shared Christmas with me and their dad, then we’d have had my mum, stepdad and brother over for dinner.
“We all love Christmas so we’re going to keep trying to go out and enjoy places like Thomasland and the Snowdome with the kids. They want to put the decorations up so we’re going to do that now. We’ll carry on as best we can for them.”
Click to make a contribution Here.
