The James Brindley Foundation - Supporting Parents
Our Story
“At around midnight, we were woken by our daughter, Charlotte, bursting into our bedroom, screaming that James had been stabbed. We cannot begin to adequately describe our feelings of disbelief, absolute panic and horror, between our abrupt waking, hearing Charlotte’s words and arriving at the scene, literally moments later. As we drove into the village and saw the sea of blue flashing lights at the top of the High Street, our hearts dropped into our stomachs, nauseated by the scale of the incident in front of us, and the dreadful and overwhelming realisation that, James’s life was hanging in the balance.
Eventually, we were told that he had died, and were escorted to his body, lying in his own blood, on the pavement where he fell, his chest opened-up by the medics, to allow open heart surgery and direct heart massage. That horrific scene is permanently imprinted in our memories, and is repeatedly played back in our minds, as a waking nightmare.
We live with the unbearable guilt, that we weren’t there at that dreadful moment to defend James, when he needed help; neither were we able to hold him in our arms and comfort him, as his life slipped away. We felt guilty at seeing the sun rise that next morning. We are traumatised and tortured by this on a daily basis.”
Mark Brindley.
Be Vigilant
We are living through unprecedented times, not only brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, but also by another equally familiar and deadly disease; everyone is susceptible to it, anywhere, at any time, but unlike coronavirus, the young are most at risk. We know it as ‘youth violence’, frequently involving a knife or bladed weapon. ‘Knife crime’, is the lethal, indiscriminate scourge of our times, has been with us for many years, continues to grow and has infected us at a national level.
Unlike coronavirus, we have the solutions and we urgently want to save parents from the devastation of losing a child to knife crime.
“We believe that, when everyone accepts personal responsibility for those around them, inevitably, violence will be reduced and ultimately, lives saved.”
Mark Brindley.
The importance of vigilance by parents
Vigilant parenting is at the heart of our fight against knife crime. It is the most important job that we will ever undertake and it’s also the most difficult. The feelings of a ‘loss of control’ or being unable to cope with outside negative influences are common, but never be afraid to ask for help, especially if you notice a sudden change in your child’s behaviour or you have any concerns for their safety.
Talk to us…
Call the James Brindley Foundation now, for expert, non-judgemental help and advice, in confidence.
Play your vital role.
Email: talk@jamesbrindleyfoundation.co.uk Tel: 0121 752 2610
