‘It helped them feel less alone’: Limerick dad encourages grieving families to attend camp
“My sons were both devastated and glad to find that other children had lost a parent to cancer too, it helped them to feel less alone”
A DAD-OF-TWO from Limerick is encouraging families who have lost a parent to cancer to sign up for the Irish Cancer Society at Barretstown Bereavement Camp.
David Atkins and his sons, 11-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Jamie, from Athea, went to the camp in September 2025.
David’s wife and the boys’ mum, Kathleen, passed away the previous March after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Speaking about what it was like for his young sons as their mother’s illness progressed, David said: “We’ve always raised them with the approach of being open with them and telling them the truth about things in an age-appropriate way. Even when Kathleen was very sick and getting worse, I was laying the groundwork, telling the boys their mam was very sick and that’s why they couldn’t see her as much as they’d like to.
“They were aware of what was happening, and there were always family or neighbours in the house with them when I was in the hospital with Kathleen. They had a lot of support from family, friends and neighbours, but it was heartbreaking for the boys to lose their mother.”
Taking place from September 25 until September 27, the free weekend-long camp – which is fully funded by the Irish Cancer Society - invites children to take part in a host of activities, including canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, and horse-riding.
Located in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare, the Irish Cancer Society at Barretstown Bereavement Camp caters to the interests of all children and gives them the opportunity to focus on having fun with other families who’ve had similar experiences.
Commenting on the impact that going to the Irish Cancer Society at Barretstown Bereavement Camp had on him and his sons, David, who is originally from Ballybrack in Dublin, said his sons “really felt the benefit” of attending the camp.
“They were both devastated and glad to find out other children had lost a parent to cancer too, it helped them to feel less alone. It was great just to have a weekend away, where they could take their minds off everything and just have fun.
“There was never any pressure on anyone to volunteer any information about their situation. Being with people who are in the same boat as you, and going through similar struggles, is really helpful. I honestly couldn’t speak highly enough of the whole weekend. The staff and volunteers were fabulous. They were so helpful and attentive.”
Dr Peter Hanlon, a bereavement therapist at Barretstown who helped to design the camp, said the weekend "gives families hope that they can have fun again even after a devastating loss".
“The camp gives families an opportunity to get away from the home where a death has taken place, meet other families who’ve been through something similar, and it gives them all the opportunity to have some fun. A lot of the parents have told us they feel guilty the first time they laugh or have fun after a bereavement.
“Fun is an alien concept when you’re bereaved, but when you’re around other bereaved families who are having fun, you realise it’s OK and you don’t need to feel guilty. The main feedback we get from parents who have gone to the bereavement camp is that it’s a safe space where people understand. It’s the power of being in a room where you don’t have to explain yourself or worry about being upset.
“And it’s particularly fun for the children, because they’re often living in households where fun isn’t really happening because the family is bereaved. They learn that they can have fun, but it doesn’t compromise how they’re feeling or take away from the devastation of losing a parent."
To register for the Irish Cancer Society at Barretstown Bereavement Camp, CLICK HERE, or contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.