Well, here we are then!  Bit of an introduction required I think!  My name is Kathryn and I'm a 44 year old mother of four and I guess you'll be wondering how the virtual hug came about - well, where to begin?  I'll try and keep it brief - I could go on for hours!

I was the youngest member of a family of five and all was relatively normal until I was a month short of my fourteenth birthday when my 21 year old sister was killed in a car crash.  Understandably my world was turned upsidedown but as you do at that age you just keep on going through the tears. 

Within a year my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and for the next two years she battled with chemotherapy and depression.  She died just after her 50th birthday when I was 17.  In truth, she simply died of a broken heart.  My brother was 28 and married and so I was left to live with my devastated father whilst dealing with the normal teenage traumas at the same time which really was no bed of roses.

So, two huge devastating body blows in quick succession and I was reluctantly set on a lifelong journey of coping with the loss of the entire female side of my family.  For a while I was lashing about in stormy waters with nothing solid to cling to and then my husband-to-be came into my life and scooped me up!

After many years of quietly coming to terms with my premature introduction to life-changing bereavement and four children later, things were looking pretty good.  Unfortunately, I recently began to have what can only be described as gynaecological problems and I'm now following a little too closely in my mum's tracks for my liking! 

Now, I do feel that IT JUST WOULDN"T BE FAIR!  Life would be a little too cruel if I was to suffer the same fate as my mother as I've done trauma, proved I can survive, carried the burden of it through out the years and now I should be allowed to live peacefully and happily til a ripe old age when I slip quietly away in my sleep!  That's my theory anyway!

So, the virtual hug has been created as a momentary oasis of tranquility for those who've triumphed over adversity, for those who are struggling to cope with all the things that life is trying to throw at them and for those who just want a right good moan!  Feel free to share and in return receive a great big virtual hug from someone who understands!