‘We’re missing her more every day’
PARENTS OF PEARL BLACK – THE LITTLE GIRL TRAGICALLY KILLED NEAR HER HOME – SPEAK FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT THEIR HEARTBREAK
THE devastated parents of Pearl Black have opened their hearts to speak publicly for the first time about their daughter’s tragic death.
One-year-old Pearl died in August after a Range Rover rolled across a road and demolished a wall which fell on to her in Heolgerrig, Merthyr Tydfil.
Now Paul and Gemma Black, who have a nine-month-old son Ace, have spoken about how they are slowly attempting to rebuild their lives after the tragedy that touched everybody’s hearts and the incredible generosity of the close-knit community in Merthyr which has rallied around the family.
So far thousands of pounds have been raised to support Paul and Gemma and last weekend saw the opening of Pearl’s Tattoo Emporium in Merthyr town centre, named after precious Pearl.
“At first we wondered why people were fundraising, but we realised it’s all because people want to do something, they want to help and we’ve been overwhelmed by their support and can’t thank people enough,” said Gemma.
“They want to ease our burden and it really has helped. It’s helped so much.”
Part of the money from a online JustGiving fundraising page has been donated to a memorial garden at Llwydcoed Crematorium, while some has been used to allow talented tattoo artist Paul to reopen his rebranded tattoo emporium in memory of Pearl.
“We just felt hopeless,” he said. “We thought what do you do with the thousands of pounds people have raised? But it’s going to be Pearl’s legacy and hopefully Ace’s future.
“It was formerly called Flamin’ 7s and was black and red and very goth-like, but now everything is very clinical and white.
“And there will be one huge picture of Pearl up on the wall with a candle below it that I will light every day when I go in and extinguish every night when I leave.
“It’s going to be all about the tattoos and creating a legacy for Pearl.”
Paul, a former musician and singer who appeared on TV’s The Voice, has put performing behind him and is focusing all his energies now into making this a family business – and both Paul and Gemma said it’s definitely given them something to look forward to.
“It’s given us a sense of purpose and a focus,” added Gemma. “It’s also given us a future.
“We’ve been finding it very difficult to see a future as it’s very hard to comprehend that Pearl isn’t going to be part of our future.”
For the future, the couple are adamant that Pearl will never leave them and they are determined Ace will know all about his big sister.
“We’re going to talk to Ace about Pearl all the time,” said Gemma. “He’s going to know he had a big sister and how amazing she was.
“We’re dreading Christmas,” she added.
“But it’s Ace’s first Christmas, so we’ve got to be strong because he deserves memories and happiness.
“We’re determined that this is not going to shape his life.
“We don’t want him to be the kid whose sister died.
“He needs as much normality as possible and we’re going to strive to do that as much as we can.”