A year ago at a Camp Simcha Mums’ Wellbeing Day, two mothers – Sophia and Mattea – met for the first time and began a conversation which grew into a friendship built on shared understanding and unwavering support through unimaginable heartbreak. Today, both mothers are living with the loss of their precious daughters yet continue to find huge strength in their friendship. Here Sophia shares her thoughts.
“This time last year I met an incredible woman who was going through a journey similar to mine. We met on a Camp Simcha Mums’ Wellbeing Day and totally gravitated towards each other, both being oncology parents of brave daughters with cancer. After a soothing Sound Bath and calm quiet time in a beautiful surrounding, we sat and talked over lunch, acknowledging the similarities and differences of our journeys and I learnt about her brave lioness Ari and what she went through and devastatingly then, being in Palliative Care.
Soon afterwards, my brave baby daughter Celine’s condition worsened and she relapsed, and I had a wonderful friend I could turn to. We spoke every day and she totally understood in a way that others simply couldn’t.
Mattea and I are now both on the ‘other side of the fence’ so to speak, with both our precious daughters together in heaven. We are both bereaved mothers parenting a bereaved daughter and son realing in the pain of the loss of their sister. We have a bond like no other.
So, when our wonderful FLO team Sam and Natalie decided a Spa Day together was much in need for these two bereaved mums, we got together at a beautiful venue generously donated for our use in central London and we laughed, we swam, we chatted, we cried, we enjoyed the goodie bag products and we swore loudly as we cold plunged, and rested together and, as we always have been, we were cared for by the supremely special Camp Simcha.
How lucky am I to have met my amazing friend Mattea and how lucky am I to be held by the many hands of the wonderful Camp Simcha team and the incredible FLOs during the life and now loss of our beautiful special daughter’s Celine and Aria.
For our girls, now nestled in the stars ✨
Thank you 🙏🏽.”
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