Mother left to raise grandchildren after all 3 daughters die
Samantha Dorricott knows only too well the bitter pain of losing a child.
For the 44-year- old mother has experienced the unbearable heartache of burying all three of her daughters in the space of seven years.
emily, 15, abbie, 19, and amy, 21, died in separate tragedies. all three girls are buried in the same grave.
Mrs Dorricott is now devoting her life to raising her two young grandchildren, who are helping her cope with her grief.
Yesterday the grandmother, who also has a son, Nathan, said: ‘Losing one child is unimaginable, but I have lost all three of my daughters.
‘No matter how much time passes I will never come to terms with it.
‘My two beautiful grandchildren have both lost their mothers and I have to be here for them to protect them.
‘ I am determined to be the best grandma and mum to them that I can be. after all, I am all they have left.’
Tragedy first struck in august 2009 when her daughter emily died after an accidental drugs overdose.
The teenager, who wanted to become a teacher, fell unconscious after experimenting with drugs at a friend’s party and died just two weeks after her 15th birthday. Three years later the family were dealt another devastating blow when eldest daughter amy, 21 – mother to Jenson, now five – also died.
amy, who was born with serious health problems, suffered two massive strokes and was admitted to hospital.
Doctors discovered she was also suffering from bowel and liver cancer. They told her family there was no hope and decided to switch off her life support.
Mrs Dorricott said: ‘amy was born with health problems. She was told it was dangerous to get pregnant. after she gave birth she suffered lots of infections and only had one lung working. But in spite of it all she adored being a mum.’
In august last year, Mrs Dorricott’s last surviving daughter, abbie, 19, died in a terrible accident. She fell asleep after leaving a chip pan on the cooker and died from smoke inhalation when it caught fire. Fortunately her own daughter Chantelle, now four, was staying with her grandmother.
Mrs Dorricott went to check on her daughter when she couldn’t get hold of her the following morning and found her dead on the sofa. ‘I raced round to her house,’ she said. ‘I looked through the letterbox and I could see ... thick black smoke.’
Mrs Dorricott, from Treorchy, South Wales, is bringing up her grandchildren with the help of 18-year- old Nathan and her partner robert Davies, 37.
Despite all she has been through, she insists she still has ‘much to live for.’ ‘When I see Jenson and Chantelle smile at me I know my girls are still here,’ she said. ‘I am determined to keep their mothers’ memories alive. ‘Chantelle and Jenson kiss their photographs and tell them they love them all the time. It is part of our daily ritual. My three beautiful daughters are buried together and I miss them all so, so much. ‘ Sometimes it is hard to bear ... But in spite of everything I still count my blessings. I have lost so much but I still have so much to live for.’
‘I will never come to terms with it’