A month ago today, the life of Georgie and her two-year-old son, Alfie, changed forever, following the sudden death of his daddy, Tom.
A planned trip for the three of them to visit Disneyland Paris took on even greater significance, with Alfie using his favourite Toy Story character, Buzz Lightyear, to help him process the loss of his daddy.
So, Georgie’s colleagues, Charlie and Jen, wanting to do something to help, decided to set up a gofundme to give Georgie and Alfie the chance to make the trip in Tom’s memory.
And the generosity of the donations is exceeding any of their expectations.
“I was totally overwhelmed when I found out what they’d done,” Georgie told the Bedford Independent.
“I didn’t know anything about it when they first set it up. The generosity of people has been amazing. When they told me about it, there were lots of tears, as there are most days.”
Raising awareness
Alfie’s dad, Tom, took his own life following a long struggle with his mental health.
“We always talked about everything he had to live for,” said Georgie, who lives in Biddenham. “But he was a very proud person and lived a very private life. He’s at peace now, but I accept that I will always have unanswered questions.
“We all feel very numb, but he’ll always be remembered as the fun, silly daddy to Alfie that he always was.”
For two-year-old Alfie, it’s been very hard to understand that his daddy isn’t coming back.
“He thinks his daddy’s in the moon,” said Georgie.
“For the first few days, he was looking around the house trying to find Tom, but now he points to the moon and says, ‘Daddy’ as his way of making sense of things.”
As well as an opportunity to raise money to support Georgie and Alfie, the gofundme has also given them a platform to speak about the stigma around men’s mental health.
“Georgie wanted to be open about the circumstances surrounding Tom’s death,” said Charlie, who set up the fundraiser.
“She wanted to be able to raise awareness of men’s mental health and make the point that there is a family and wider group of people who have been utterly devastated by this.”
One of the organisations that is being highlighted is Andy’s Man’s Club, a suicide prevention charity offering peer-based meet-ups around the country, but locally in Huntingdon and Northampton.
Donations have come from every corner of Tom’s life: work colleagues, friends from Luton Rugby Club and the West End theatre community through his brother, Tim.
“To see so many people, including those who never even met Tom, stepping up to secure Alfie’s future is breathtaking,” said Charlie.
“Georgie has already set up an ISA for Alfie to ensure these donations are protected for his long-term future.
“Tom was so popular and so loved.
“As her colleague, my heart is with Georgie and Alfie, but we also recognise his parents and siblings; the loss they are experiencing is profound and enduring.
“The donations have been overwhelming, and Georgie and Alfie deserve all the support and the love that they are getting.”
If you would like to show your support to Georgie and Alfie, you can donate to the gofundme here.
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
