Today's episode is the penultimate episode of Series 2. As the creator and host of Bereavement Room Podcast I want to remind everyone why we are here in the first place.

Bereavement Room was created following the multiple deaths I had in my family coupled with poor experiences of therapy as well as inadequate support from mainstream bereavement charities particularly when I came up with the idea of a death cafe for BAME communities and spoke about Muslim Funerals. 

Bereavement Room is a podcast that addresses the conversation around life, death, grief and identity from the perspective of ethnic minoritised communities across the diaspora, this means we navigate the unspoken truths about grief within our communities including the many layers that sit within it, such as healthcare, racism, therapy, family dynamics, faith, culture and so much more. 

Halfway through Series 1 my dad unexpectedly fell ill, having recovered and on rest in hospital he died suddenly after 2 hours of deterioration that was ignored by staff on duty in the very early hours of one morning after almost what was a 2 week stay in hospital.

It is inconceivable that yet again I was going through another bereavement and this time my beautiful and caring father. The difference this time is that unexpected and sudden deaths just hit you out of nowhere, like a rug being pulled from underneath you. 

I share some memories and what it was like saying goodbye to my dad and the home i grew up in and that grief is universal but the narrative around bereavement is not. 

I include here a 4 minute podcast episode from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that outlines why hospital deaths happen amongst the elderly population and that they can be prevented according to research from the BMJ. We can love the NHS and challenge it too. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/london-school-hygiene-tropical-medicine-audio-news/id311462747?i=1000122883492

I also include here a podcast I stumbled across after my fathers death called £3 pounds in my pocket, stories of pioneering migrants who were invited to Britain from the Indian subcontinent in the 1950s and 1960s.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03xq6h7 

A eulogy from a child of the Diaspora

My father was a former subject of the British Raj. He was invited to England in the 50's after the destruction of WW2 to rebuild this country alongside many others. Made huge sacrifices and contributions our generation could never imagine. He was a great man. My best friend. 

As always, thank you so much for listening.

Your host

Callsuma Ali