Yvette Cooper acknowledges ‘unthinkable pain’ caused by practice between 1930s and 1980s after campaign by Wirral woman and othersThe health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has issued a “profound apology” for the “unthinkable pain”...
Read MoreAfter his mother died, Otto became convinced he’d been wronged by the forensic investigators – and that one of them was a fraud. The truth was even strangerOn a balmy, quiet evening in June 2020, Otto’s elderly mother, Doria,...
Read MoreThe star was just eight when his friend was stabbed. Decades on, he’s ready to talk about that day – how it shaped him, and how, as he becomes a father himself, it will shape him as a dad“I feel a bit nervous,” confesses John...
Read MoreFrom old love letters to pieces of string, our homes are stuffed with stuff. When it comes time to empty a parent’s home, sorting the junk from the memory can be overwhelmingSoon after her marriage in 1952, Ellen Rogers’ mother,...
Read MoreMPs today voted not to approve the assisted dying bill at its second reading. The bill, which was brought back to the Commons after being blocked in the Lords, would have allowed terminally ill people to end their lives with...
Read MoreElise Burns and Keith Williams appeared in campaign filmed by Rankin this year – both were denied their wishes, but their relatives are picking up the batonThe feeling, said Sarah Burns of her sister’s last days, is one of...
Read MoreThere’ll be exhaustion, love tinged with occasional rage, even moments of black humour. But my mum would want me to tell you: don’t be afraidMy mother’s house looks exactly as she left it.Two novels sit by the armchair, their...
Read MoreThe platitudes, euphemisms and cliches are excruciating. But the people who say nothing at all are the worstLuckily, I already knew having a comic thought at a tragic moment is a natural stress response, or I might have worried....
Read MoreHow can our understanding of mortality shape the way we live? Palliative care doctors and death doulas share the lessons they have learnedWe will all face death one day, but our attitude towards this is individual. How can our...
Read MoreI tried everything from gong baths to junk food and intermittent crying as I attempted to deal with my grief. Nothing helped – until I started tuning in to what my body was telling meI didn’t think I could survive the death of...
Read MoreBianca Devins was 17 when she was killed by a man who then shared photos of her mutilated body on sites like Instagram and Snapchat – something her mother Kim describes as ‘psychological terrorism’. Here, she reveals her battle...
Read MoreWhen you are cured, the world cheers; when you are dying, it mourns. But when you are simply maintaining, the world is at a lossMornings begin with a silent inventory, conducted in the dark before the curtains are drawn: can I...
Read More