Charity starts at work - In the name of Thiago - Day 41

Yep that’s right folks, in this case it does. Well it would be a pretty bizarre twist of fate to say that charity ever started in my home so the twist on the proverb is particularly apt for me.

My idea of charity starting at home is to allow the heating, very grudgingly admittedly, to be turned on at the start of December. As Elisa once embarrassed me in public by sharing that ‘sometimes in our house at Christmas we’re allowed to have the heating on but only if it’s really, really cold!’ Gees, I love that girl. She is everything of me and yet so much more.

Yes, the charitable twist on today’s subject comes from the fact that I am lucky to be employed by an organisation that, while having many faults, has at its core, an incredible number of extraordinarily kind, caring and wholehearted people.

Through a combination of my belligerent approach to fundraising and the generosity of a wonderful team of people who work for our reablement services team, since Wednesday I have managed to source contributions for my fundraising to the tune of £375.

This now means that I have just tipped over the £4,000 mark for money raised since the second week of January, meaning that I am nearing halfway in my push for a very ambitious total of £10,000. This money will be split between the two hospital charities which showed the most remarkable compassion for my son Thiago. They are Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Royal Stoke University Hospital.

I got very tearful on the way home tonight as due to a job I had to drop off at the Crewe Lyceum after I left the office today, I ended up coming home a different way. This meant that I passed Keele Cemetery where my little hero is buried. It was not long after 5pm and all I could think of was Thiago my darling little boy, you must be so lonely out there.

As I drove passed the turning I smashed my hands on the steering wheel chastising myself for not having gone to see him and yet what does it matter? Well it does matter that’s what. It’s such a fucking ridiculous thing and it hit me so hard and all because I drove passed the turning. The pain is so fresh and it hurts so much. I miss my little boy and whatever happens for the rest of time will never make it better.

But I don’t want to end this here because it has actually been a happy two to three days. The irony is something else though. Because something brilliant happened it made me feel sad. Grief is an emotion that is impossible to predict and an absolute bastard of a thing. But you know what, you’ve just got to work with it and at least for me now whatever shit life throws at me, I am pretty fucking sure I’ll be able to cope with it!

So up your arse grief, you can do one.

In the meantime folks, don’t forget that while I love you reading my blog, the thing that matters most to me is encouraging people to donate to the two hospitals. 

Thank you.