In February 2012 Rhian had just returned to work as a P.E. teacher after having my youngest son George when tragedy struck my family. George died suddenly with no sign of illness in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant on the 22nd February. Just days later Paul, her husband and the Daddy to her three children, took his own life traumatised by the loss of their son. The tragedy of experiencing the sudden death of a child was compounded by the situation my husband and she found herself in at the hospital, having nowhere to privately grieve and say goodbye to our son.

The family were offered no support and we were left to deal with the loss of both Paul and George alone. Motivated by a desire to ensure others would not have the same devastating experience after losing a child suddenly in hospital, she set up the child bereavement charity ‘2 Wish Upon a Star’. To date the charity has raised over £1,000,000 exclusively from small public donations and local fundraising and 2 Wish Upon A Star is now an All Wales organisation helping hundreds of families every year who experience sudden and traumatic loss. Rhian is also very passionate about mental health and I regularly speak about my own struggles since losing my boys. I took part in a BBC documentary in 2017 ‘Mind Over Marathon’ raising awareness of mental health and I often speak out about mental health in men and following sudden bereavement. Rhian now work full time at 2 Wish Upon A Star and is determined that every family in Wales who loses a child suddenly receives the support they truly deserve. The love and pride she has for her boys, along with her drive to succeed has seen the charity flourish.