Captain Toms family encourage people not to grieve alone at Christmas

The daughter of Captain Sir Tom Moore has encouraged people to not grieve alone if they are missing a loved one over Christmas.

Hannah Ingram-Moore, whose father died in February, has said people “don’t need to” go through grief alone and encouraged people to reach out for support if they need it.

Sir Tom’s family are experiencing their first Christmas without the charity campaigner, who raised more than £32 million for the NHS when he walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April 2020.

She told the BBC: “We understand what you’re going through. Many of us have gone through it. You can’t tell anyone how to grieve but you can say ‘don’t feel isolated’.

“Loss and grief can come from nowhere; you listen to a song and it makes you cry, you smell a certain smell or watch their favourite programme.

“It can be hard but don’t feel alone. There are people you can talk to.”

Second World War veteran Sir Tom raised £38.9 million in total for the NHS, including Gift Aid, with the money given to NHS Charities Together.

He was knighted by the Queen in recognition of his efforts and made an honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

He died on February 2 at Bedford Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.

At the time, his family said the last year of his life was “nothing short of remarkable” and he had “experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of”.

In a statement, Ms Ingram-Moore and her sister Lucy Teixeira said: “We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.

“We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.

“Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.”

Outlining how the family is coping this Christmas, Ms Ingram-Moore told the BBC: “We definitely have reflective moments of sadness, but we also have the sheer joy of the legacy he’s left the world.”

Published: 25/12/2021 by Radio NewsHub