Suzanne Foster

Hello
I am Suzanne Foster one of the co-authors of Brief Lives. I wrote this book with Pamela Smith, who has sadly since died, after researching the television series by the same name. The series which was transmitted on Thames Television back in 1987 was made up of 6 half hour programmes dedicated to the stories of families who had lost a child. Each programme looked at a different form of death; accidental death, cancer,suicide, murder and anorexia nervosa. As one of the researchers on the programme I spoke to many families who had lost a child in one of these tragic circumstances. It was at times a harrowing experience to listen to these stories but I will never forget the courage of the families who were prepared to share their loss. I will always be proud of that series and the book that accompanied it. I hope that the book provided some useful insight on how parents grieve after losing a child for the helping professions who read it and also some comfort to the families whose contributions shaped it.