Hereford Logansaurus charity offers child loss support

"When you lose a child, you mourn the future that you could have had," says Lauren Henderson, mum of 10-year-old Logan Kelly who died from a brain tumour last year.

"Earlier this month, it would have been his first week at secondary school and I would have posted a photo of him online in his new uniform. I will forever grieve him learning to drive, his first girlfriend or boyfriend, marriage, grandchildren... but nobody wants to talk about it."

Logan, a "bright and bubbly boy who showed enormous amounts of love and care", was diagnosed with an incurable diffuse intrinsic pontins glioma in 2022 and underwent intensive radiotherapy before his death on May 6, 2023.

Logan Kelly, pictured in 2022 (Image: Lauren Henderson)

When they lost their son, Lauren and Matt Henderson were shocked to find that there was a real lack of local support for grieving parents.

The absence of a dedicated group in Hereford inspired them to set up their own charity to help other families facing child loss. 

The Logansaurus Trust, named after Logan's love of dinosaurs, plans to hold regular meetings where parents can open up about their feelings and experiences.

Mrs Henderson, a special education teacher, said: "Life is so fragile and when a child dies, it brings that to the forefront. No one knows what to do or what to say, and you become isolated. It's really difficult.

"This is why we are planning a once-a-month meetup at the Humming Bird Cafe in Hereford, where parents can just rant or cry with no judgement."

With the first date yet to be confirmed but pencilled in for October half term, the couple are still looking for more funding from businesses who may wish to sponsor the charity.

Mr and Mrs Henderson have a strong partnership, sharing happy memories of Logan, and are hoping to support other couples (Image: ROB DAVIES)

The couple are getting the word out about the charity by giving leaflets to mental health services, doctors, children's charities and more.

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As well as meet-ups and telephone support, the charity will offer one-to-one bereavement sessions with therapist Dawn Ford at a heavily reduced fee.

Mrs Henderson has also written a children's book called I Became A Star, designed to help children process the loss of friends or relatives.

Anyone who wants to find out more about Logansaurus, or get a copy of the book, can contact logansaurustrust@outlook.com or visit Logansaurus Trust on Facebook.