Kathleen’s appeal to devastated parents of murdered children Mum’s advice for coping at Christmas
The car in which the boys died
Sanjeev Chada killed sons
Santina Cawley, Kathleen said: “Do things that are working for you and don’t be alone.
“I prepare for big days like Christmas – I always stay with family and I’m never alone. Christmas Eve is my own time to mooch, light the fire and read a trashy book or trashy TV.
“I don’t drink. I let the world go far away from me for that night and then I wake up the next day and I go, ‘Right – time to get the turkey in the oven’. I’ve 14 nieces and nephews so it’s a big day. My family are my rock.”
Kathleen, from Bagnelstown, Co Carlow, added: “Don’t live with guilt and try to smile through the tears. That’s what I do when I talk about Eoghan and Ruairi.
“It’s the support from family and community that keeps you going. I believe we have it inside all of us but thank God most of us don’t ever have to tap into that side of ourselves.
“I see the strength in others who’ve gone through similar journeys to me and I can see if they can do it, I can too. I believe in God – that never went
away and my faith is very strong. I can feel my boys with me and I believe I’ll meet them again.” Kathleen’s eldest son Eoghan would have turned 16 on June 26. She added: “I look at all his friends and see them growing up and wonder about Eoghan, would he be tall, how would he be? Christmas, birthdays and holidays are better than you might think as you’ve got them in mind and you’re planning for them. “It’s the unusual things like when I walk past one of the boys’ friends or on the first day of school when it reopens after summer – those moments hit me more.” news@irishmirror.ie
Kathleen Chada
Eoghan & Ruairi
Do things that are working for you. I always stay with family and I’m never alone KATHLEEN CHADA ON COPING TACTICS FOR BEREAVED PARENTS AT CHRISTMAS