11 years of grief and Maxine helps others
DAUGHTER LIZZIE DIED IN UNEXPLAINED ROAD TRAGEDY
A GRIEVING Nottinghamshire mum has spoken of the loss of her daughter 11 years on from the tragedy – explaining how questions remain unanswered about the night Lizzie died and how she is supporting others in similar situations.
Lizzie Ternent and her friend Emily Haith were in a car which left the A638 Bawtry Road in Scrooby and became submerged in the River Ryton.
Lizzie, 20, and her friend, 18, both died in the January 2010 tragedy.
The pair had been out for dinner – and Lizzie’s mum Maxine Brown said it is still unknown how the tragedy occurred.
Mrs Brown, who lives in Retford and has remarried, recalled the harrowing phone call she received from the police who told her Lizzie had been in a car accident.
She had been awake until the early hours waiting for her daughter to return home.
Mrs Brown, now 56, said: “I had been awake until three-ish on and off and waiting.
“I am sure it was about five o’clock in the morning I got the call on my mobile.
“It was the worst thing that could ever happen to me; it will be the worst thing that ever happens to me.
“That phone call, nothing ever will be as bad.”
Mrs Brown explained that an inquest was unable to provide an understanding of what happened.
“They did not know what happened at all. They said it was a pure accident,” said Mrs Brown.
“There was nobody to blame, there was no alcohol or anything like that involved – neither of the girls had been drinking anything.”
Mrs Brown said the accident happened in winter and there had been some rain.
But it’s unclear how the car, driven by her daughter’s friend, left the road and went into the water.
More than a decade on from the loss of her daughter, Mrs Brown said there were still “little triggers” which set her off.
“I am very open,” she said. “I will talk about Lizzie all the time – she is part of me.
“I never, ever, shy away from talking about her.
“Anniversaries and birthdays still get to me – they always will.”
Lizzie died just a few days after she’d been given the allclear for swine flu and kidney failure.
She had been working for the telecommunications company Three and working towards a business management degree. She loved socialising with her friends.
Mrs Brown said the support she received from her parents and close pals had been amazing.
But she’d struggled with the grieving process, saying: “Eventually I went and found support myself.
“So that is why I am now trying and I can help other people because there’s not enough out there.” Having worked as a manager for the David Lloyd fitness company, specialising in the client side of the business, she became a life coach to offer her support to others. “Sometimes people need to have somebody to talk to because they have not got anybody to talk to. “It’s individuals that are struggling with grief or bereavement and life in generally, really,” she said. Mrs Brown has now published a book called 31 Days Life Changing Journal: It’s Okay to be Okay. It documents the tough times she’s been through, how she went on to meet husband, Steven, 58, and the life they lead now. The book can be bought through Amazon and Mrs Brown’s website ay mkblifecoach.com.
They did not know what happened at all. They said it was a pure accident
Maxine Brown