Guide to help with grief is published after death of University of Sheffield student

When Mary-Lou, a 22-year-old law graduate and Masters student at The University of Sheffield, died suddenly in January 2020, her auntie, Dr Victoria Wilson-Crane found herself in a position of being strong for her sister, whilst feeling totally bereft as well.

As an academic, Victoria turned to reading. Some of the material out there about sudden death frightened her, as they talked a lot about families falling apart and that didn't resonate with her, or match her experience.

Although close to her niece, Victoria wasn't at the epicentre of the grief.

Victoria, who is Director of Innovative Student Learning at Kaplan International Pathways, wrote the book ‘Sixteen Days’ to help others.

She said: “There wasn't a lot out there in terms of books or articles for someone who’s grieving and totally heartbroken but not an immediate family member.

“A lot of friends were saying things like, “I really don’t know what to say...,” and I didn’t have any words, either.

“This is when I decided to write a book about my experience. Sixteen Days is a memoir about the – mostly kind – things people said, and did, in the short period between Mary-Lou’s death and the funeral.

“At a time of many people experiencing loss during the global pandemic, I hope my book helps others.”

Sixteen Days is available to buy now in paperback or Kindle download from Amazon and from Victoria’s website https://books.drvictoriawilsoncrane.co.uk/