Rhian Mannings: ‘Everyone grieves differently, there is no rule book’
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello everyone, it's John here, just letting you know that I have written a book. It's called Thirst, 12 Drinks That Changed My Life, and it's out now. In many episodes of How Do You Cope, you'll have heard me talk about my relationship with alcohol, and in writing Thirst, I wanted to explore what alcohol means. Why did it mean more to me than other people? Why did it mean some things felt better, and why did it mean so many things went wrong? I also talk about lots of other things you'll have heard me and my guests discuss on How Do You Cope? Meditation, physical pain, gratitude, trauma, and therapy. There's even a chapter about my bum and its relationship with Buddhism. So if that piques your interest, Thirst is out now, and the audiobook, read by me, is available wherever you get audiobooks from.
Nordea.fi Kautta opiskelija
Hello and welcome to How Do You Cope with me, John Robbins. This is the show where I sit down with special guests to talk about the challenges they've overcome and the coping mechanisms they use in their everyday lives. And before we go any further, I do need to mention that this episode covers the loss of a young child and also suicide. So do listen with care. And if you need any support, you can find links to resources in the show notes. Today's guest is Rhiann Mannings, an incredible woman who's been through the very worst of what life can throw at you. In 2012, Rhiann lost her one-year-old son, George, after he suffered a sudden seizure. Just five days later, her husband, Paul, took his own life.
Since this unimaginable trauma, Rhiann has channeled her grief into helping those around her. She set up To Wish, a charity created in her son and husband's memory that very same year. Its mission is to ensure that every person affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young adult has access to bereavement support. The charity is now working with almost every A&E department in Wales and operates family rooms in hospitals to provide a private place of comfort and support after a sudden death. They also provide free memory boxes for families to create in the hospital. Last year, Tuish began its expansion from Wales into England. Rhiann's dedication and hard work was recognised in 2020, when she was presented with a Pride of Britain award by Michael Sheen, who described her as a true Welsh national treasure who transforms personal tragedy into a vital lifeline for others.
And last year, she hit the headlines when Prince William visited her house in Cardiff. I've been to the offices of Tuwish in Wales. A couple of times now, and I've met Rhiann and the rest of the team. They're some of the most driven and inspiring people I've ever met. The walls are lined with stars, each bearing the name of a child whose family they have helped. Those stars now number over 3,000. It's an honour and a privilege to sit down with her today to discuss, amongst other things, loss, grief, resilience and purpose. You can find out all about Two-Wish at twoish.org.uk. That's the number two. Before we get started, don't forget that you can now watch every episode of How Do You Cope on YouTube.
Just search for How Do You Cope Pod and you can of course listen to all episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Please do hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. For more info or to get in touch, head to howdocopepod.com.
Hi, Rhiann. Welcome to How Do You Cope? How are you doing?
I'm good, thank you. Thanks for having me.
It's a real pleasure to chat to you. And I was thinking on the way in that the word journey is probably overused in this sort of world, but there's no avoiding it here because your life has become something I doubt you could ever have imagined. So should we start from the beginning and maybe you could tell us about where you met your husband Paul and what he was like?
Yeah, so Paul and I met in Somerset. I was a PE teacher at the time and he came back to the school he originally went to as an old boy to play some cricket. We were set up on a blind date, would you believe?
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–18:35
2
How did Rhian and Paul’s early life and family form the backdrop to their tragedy?
18:35–36:11
3
What happened during George’s sudden medical emergency and death?
36:11–44:25
4
How did the immediate hospital and police response affect the family after George’s death?
44:25–1:09:45
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from How Do You Cope?
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