A brave woman whose husband suddenly died during a trip to Spain has shared her experiences to help others in the aftermath of losing a loved one.
Tony McAtamney suffered an abdominal aneurysm during a golf trip with friends in 2004.
His wife Tracey received the horrific news in a 1am phone call and then had to tell her children, Oliver and Anthony.
She relives the moment she got the awful news every day but now helps others with the launch of the foundation Surviving Bereavement.
Aimed at helping others overcome loss, the organisation offers legal and financial advice as well as practical help and she is looking to expand.
Tracey told Birmingham Live : “People are not meant to die on holiday, they are meant to come home.
“I had lost my husband, father of my children, our livelihood and, most of all, my best friend. “How do you tell a seven-year-old that his daddy is never coming home? To this day that is the worst thing I have ever had to do.
“Our aim is to raise awareness of not just the emotional aspect of grief but also the practical and the mental well-being required to survive bereavement.
“After someone dies you find yourself surrounded by paperwork. I realised quickly people needed help.
“The café role is perfect for anyone with time to spare who is compassionate and can offer a listening ear. They would just need to set up the banner, welcome people and make introductions.
“People generally will then talk to each other.”
The foundation runs monthly bereavement cafés in Balsall Common, Berkswell, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington and Solihull.
She previously remembered of the tragic night in 2004: “ I remember sliding down the bathroom door and saying: ‘OK, I can’t talk now because [my son] Oliver is in the bedroom. I’m going to have to call you back.’
"It felt like someone had punched me in the chest. I crawled out of the bedroom because I didn’t want Oliver to see me. I just couldn’t face him.
“I opened [my older son] Anthony’s bedroom door where he was still awake with his friend and just blurted it out. Anthony just looked at me.
“We hugged and the tears came down.”
Tracey has since settled with a new partner of more than ten years and spends as much time as she can with her sons, three step-children and four step-grandchildren.
She hopes her foundation can continue to provide support to those dealing with bereavement.
She added: “My motto is there is always a light at the end of a tunnel and always an answer to that impossible situation.
“That’s what Surviving Bereavement is here to help with."
