I began to write "Survive & Thrive" at Christmas 2019 and I completed it during lockdown alongside another book "Uncharted Surf".  I was motivated to write it because of the impact losing my dad in 2003 had upon me.  I started to write it in December 2019 after my friend died of cancer leaving two young kids behind, another friend took his own life leaving another two kids and I got to know an old friend who had raised her child from birth without a father.  I originally started to write the book just for these people but that changed when I realsied  I have learned a lot since my dad died 17 years ago, things I wish to pass on to anyone who is facing growing up or is struggling with life after the loss of a parent.  

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It is in hindsight that I realise the things I did and the approach I took to live with the loss of my dad and all the challenges that were set upon my shoulders overnight.  I have detailed everything in this pocket sized book for anyone suffering something similar.

I tell real stories of situations in which I found myself and  what I did to overcome them. I pass on the advice my dad had given me before he died and I tell you what I've learned since he died so that you too can benefit from it if you feel you have no one to turn to for advice or reassurance.  

Everyone's story, situation and loss is different but I hope that this book might help you if you are feeling lost without your Father, Father Figure or your Mother.

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My dad died at 50, his dad died at 60. When I lost my dad I had no grandfathers and all the other men in my family were dead too, except one uncle that I didn't really know. I had no Father Figure to guide me in what came my way. 

If anything, the lack of a male role model after Dad died made me stronger not weaker.

I am not a father, I have no experience of that.  I am a son without a father, I have lots of experience of that and I hope that if you are struggling, searching for answers, reassurance or support that something from my experience may be comforting for you.

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I must stress, as with any topic of this nature, this book is at times raw.  It may not be suitable for some readers.  This is a book based solely on real life experience, I am not a counsellor, I am not a medical practitioner or anything of the sort. If you seek support or diagnosis from a suitably qualified professional please seek them in the relevant places, this book is not a substitute for that. This is not a book of research, it is a real life account of bereavement/loss and the ways I as an individual has overcome and handled it. It is not a how-to guide.

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You can Survive and Thrive beyond the loss of a Parent