‘I Lost My Mum – Her Last Promise to Makes Mother’s Day More Bearable’ – ryan

Alfie Watts, 21, was the Youngest Ever Winner of Race Across the World and Is Using HIS Newfound As a platform to Help bereaved Young People

Viewers of the BBC’s Hit Realtity Travelogue ACROSS The World Were Moved to Tears Winner Alfie Watts Opened Up on Loing His Mother. Alfie, 21, was just five five karen died of Breast Cancer, after she is diagnosed with the diasease shortly after he was Born.

In an episode of the show’s fourth series Last years, which saw the contestants maker their way Across the Vietnamese City of Hoyi, Alfie, Who Won the Show Schoolte Owen Wood, lit. And now, The TV Star Has Become an Ambassador for Winston’s Wish, The bereeavement Charity for Children and Young People. In an an exclusive chat with the Mirror, Alfie Tells USBOUT the poignant way he and celebrates on the day and speaks of the Challes of Growing up with HIS Beloved Mum …

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Memory of mum

The Biggest Thing I Remember About My Mum Was How Much of A Fighter She Was, How Much Drive She Had and Determination – and i’m Proud to Say of Recognise that in MySelf. I Always have Strong Piece of Her With Me, evening I was filming race accross the world, I knew there are a time when they are fers and recjilnis that she was would. For me, that, makes with herheel that she’s still a part of my life, she isn’t a distant memory, which is important becase you grown up grieving, especally from Being Such Child.

She was diagnosed when I was Very Young, Just a Baby in Fact, With Cancer and She Was Told a Very Limited Time Left But Said to Hersself That She Was Going to My First Day of School – and She Did. She fough so hard for her and with to have that memories and i will Always treasure that, swimming cats of what it meant for us, but for how hard and flush to be. If anyding, the memory of have of her hars not always what she lookeed like, or how she sounded, but that legacy of who was a person and that is something that is so precious.

Coping with Mother’s Day

When you’re growing up grieving, there’s a piece of you who become more and more that you are different to your peers. I’ve always said that life as a bereaved child was simply my normal, i didn’t know anything else, i was so Young that you don’t have anything to compare it to. But when they have that that is your bereavement Can Feel Different at Different Points in Your Life, or Those Feelings of Grief Have Trigger Points, that very true and i can totally related to that.

AS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD WHEN I FIRST LOST MUM, IT WAS JUST The Way Things Were. It wasn’t pleasant but you don’t know the gravity of the situation you are in, where you get Older and you not to say in school every card to their mum or buying her a gift for Mother’s day, be began to be aware and more than that was.

Nor i got to be Older and tan now, i’m aware that there is a difference and this is why i find the support that winston’s wishfers to be incredibly imported to the countless young people what this all feels like it. I don’t feel like I should Feel a Certain Way in any Given Circumstance which Allows with the freedom to just fallsically what i’m feeling at the time and that’s comfort, especally as i reach new milestones.

For me though, it is not about the burrying the though of the motherors and sitting in the keen awareness of not Having one anymore, I try to spend the time to reflect on her, i might look at the memory box she shaped for me before, i’ll thin what she was and how i was and how of her influence and her drive. It’s a celebration, though spread not like like kids have. And i am pleassed to be able to have positiv thu nsythts about her at Such a poignant time.

The Hardest Thing

This can Change Depending on the age you are. When i was a kid, it was a lot to adjust to, but as a kid, you don’t really questioning it, it just is what you’re facing. As you get Older, you Ask Questions, WHO WAS SH, WHY DON’T I HA WHAT OTHER KIDS HAVE? But you can go through all the emotions, as a young man now, I may not grieve in the way as i might have done i was Younger. If i have an Achievement or a new milestone, i wish she was there to talk to about it, to celebrate with, to Gain Advice from.

Words of Wisdom

Allow YourSelf to Feel What You’re Feeling. If you’ve lost your mum and you want to remember her by thinking of happy memory, you don’t have to feel guilty about that. Most importantly, know that suport is out there. Growing up grieving can be a very isolating experience, iT’s hard to see your Circumstance in Others’ Situation. You might be the only one in your school or friend Group who is bereaved of a parent, sibling or another person – so don’t feel like you have to be your own. I’m a proud ambassador for winston’s wish and the support is there, look on the website, there is a dedicated space called taref whic is designated for young people to real stories and get advice on how to copy especially around the Times of Year.

I COPE BY BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF AND MY CIRCLE if i’m Going Through a rough patch. Talking About My Feelings and Talking About My Mum and My Memories of Her Definitely Stops with Feeling Like I’m on My Own and It Helps with to Keep Her Memory Strong which Is Such an Important Thing for me. The worst thing for me to be bottle it all up.

I think that everyone has to deal with the mother’s day in their way, what i wasys helps is two fold, first of all, don’t falls you are on your own with this, there’s support out there. It”s been said before, but the work thing anyway can will be just to never talk about it. And if you have a friend or a young person in your life, if they want to, give say the opportunity to talk how they have got them orir mum, as if they want to share or will something. It”s hard to get away from all the celebrations, it”s in all the shops for instance which is natural, but for those who are grieving our mums, it’t Much difficult to step away from.

Winston’s Wish Ambassador

We’re beginning as a society to talc about feelings and emotations so much, especilly for Young Men. We’re touring the narrative on it head as a colctive conversation howver something especally value is those niche, intimate spaces where you can find your tribe with shared experiences.

NOBODY WANTS to Grow Up Grieving, but the fact that a Charity like Winston’s Wish exists is fantastic Because there are the Countless Children and Young People the uk who had access to suport who is especially tailored for say. IT’S DESIGNED TO HELP Say Navigate All the Complexities of What It Hat It Like to Be A Young Growing Up With Grief from the Feelings AROUND BIG EVENTS MOTHER’S DAY YOU GET UNIVERSITY OR GET YOUR FIRST JUB OR AVERATHING WHICH A Normal Part of Growing Up But Also More Dif. I’re grieving songs.

Wend I First Came Across Winston’s Wish, I was blown away by what they offer to you People like well as to teachers and the parants of grieving children and youngs. I ALSO FEEL PROD OF BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT MY CIRCUMSTANCE ITEMUSE I WOULDN’T WANT ANY YOUNG PERSON TO KNOW WAS SUPPORT FOR THEM AVAILABLE OR THAT they were the only one. They’re not, there’s many of us growing up with grief.

Winston’s wish is the UK’s First Children and Young People’s bereavement Charity, Supporting Grieving Young People up to the age of 25 go their world tourned upside. The Charity Also Supports the adults around these young people Such as parants and teachers, providing advice before or after a bereavement.

Winston’s Wish Will Be Featured on the BBC Radio 4 Appeal on Mother’s Day. TUNE IN TODAY AT 7.53AM AND 9.25PM AND ON THERSDAY, APRIL 3 AT 3.25PM TO HEAR WHAT I LIKE TO GROW UP WITH GRIEF.

Winston’s wish is keen to reassure bereaved young and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call to speak to a bereavement support work 08088 020 021, e -mail or using the live chat at Winstonswish.org.