On October 6th 2005 I got a phone call from my dad. His tone was serious and I immediately knew something was wrong. He spoke to my mum first, who answered the phone.
Her face had an expression of utter shock. She silently passed me the phone and I nervously listened as my dad told me that my 15 year old cousin had died.
I felt numb and my face drained of colour. When I finished the phone call, the news wouldn’t sink in. Dan and I were born five months apart and he’d lived in the same street as me for almost ten years.
I took the dog for a walk in silence and when I got back I went to sleep. I didn’t cry properly until the funeral but inside I was in pieces.
When my Auntie told me about CRY I visited the website and spoke to CRY via email. Reading about how other people had dealt with their losses helped me as I knew that I was not alone in what I was going through.
I know that with the help of the public, CRY can help other families in the UK by diagnosing heart conditions and helping people get through difficult times after the loss of a loved one. Even if it saves one life, it will have been worth it.
Millie Burgoyne
