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Lottie Tomlinson - Back for a moment

10 Jun 2025

Lottie Tomlinson, Sue Ryder ambassador, shares memories and keepsakes that bring her comfort in her grief.

Watch: Lottie Tomlinson - Back for a moment

With grief, it's often just, you know, that love that's got nowhere to go. And I did find myself in a time where I kind of thought. I'll never get over this. I'll never get past it. When I do feel those moments of loneliness, it's because I'm craving that person.

I just remember going to visit my mum when she was ill. She wanted me to have something to keep, and she wanted me to have some words from her that I can look back on. And she gave me this card, and it was just kind of a token of her kind of telling me how much she loved me.

Lottie looking at card from her mum

To my gorgeous Princess, the bravest bug eyes in the world. Love you forever, mummy xxx

Bug eyes is a nickname that I got over time from my mum because as a child I had like these huge big bug eyes as she called them.

The writing in the card is shaky. She obviously felt that ill when she wrote it. It meant a lot at the time, but I think obviously it means so much more now because, she's not here with us and I've kept it safe and I look back on it for so much comfort.

The little card that I've got and the other memories that I've got in my special box, that's often where I go back to when I want to reconnect with her and relive some of the memories.

Close up of Lottie's hands, looking at photo of herself, her brother and mum

I mean, it's pretty hard to find stuff in here [the memory box]. I did warn you it is overflowing. Another picture of my mum. I love this picture because I think it just shows how happy she was to be with us.

This is when I was on tour with my brother and she came out to visit us and she was so happy to be there with us.

I would just want to go back and tell myself that my life isn't ruined and that I was going to be happy again one day. I genuinely didn't think I would be because you're so lost in that grief and it's such a consuming feeling.

That's why I try and encourage people to talk about it and to deal with the grief and to allow those emotions. It's just important that people know that you can overcome grief, and you can come through loss.

Portrait of Lottie Tomlinson looking into the camera

You can overcome grief, and you can come through loss.

Grief Deserves Better

Our research shows that 88% of bereaved people feel alone in their grief*. And around 1 in 8 people (13%) (about 427,00 people a year) said they did not receive enough support while grieving. Almost 1 in 10 (9%) said they needed support but did not know where to find it**.

Along with Lottie, we are urging people who need grief support to find out more about our free-to access bereavement services.

*Censuswide survey, October 2024.

** * survey of 1002 respondents (aged 16+) in the UK who grieved/are grieving the loss of a close relative and/or friend (partner/spouse, parent, child, sibling, close friend or grandparent only) undertaken by Censuswide between 19.03.2025 - 24.03.2025. 

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Free-to-access online bereavement support

Our free-to-access support includes our Online Bereavement Community, our self-help Grief Guide, plus more online advice and resources.

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Lisa Riley - Back for a moment
Lisa Riley, Sue Ryder ambassador, shares memories and keepsakes that bring her comfort in her grief.
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