The Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) is offering support to those struggling to deal with the sudden loss of a loved one with its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
The programme ensures that electrical industry employees and their immediate family members have a shoulder to lean on at the most difficult times, by offering them vital support services including bereavement counselling, legal advice and financial assistance and grants.
Recently through EAP, the charity supported Dawn, who had lost her beloved husband Pete to suicide, during their honeymoon. Newly married, 31-year-old Pete worked in the electrical industry for RWE in Cardiff and had been suffering from mental health problems for four years. He had sought help from his GP but did not feel he had received enough support from health professionals in the process.
Pete was a lifelong sufferer of Crohn’s Disease and other severe conditions which meant that his digestive system was inflamed. Although doctors were treating him for his conditions, they were not giving him the injections needed to help alleviate the pain that he was experiencing on a daily basis. He was also struggling with financial difficulties from the breakdown of his first marriage. The financial worries he had, combined with the pain that he was in, began to take its toll on him both mentally and physically. These feelings began to escalate as he felt as though he had not been listened to or adequately supported by his GP. Pete felt in a hopeless situation and that there was nothing he could do to make it better.
He had recently married Dawn, and the newlyweds were on their honeymoon in Greece. Tragically, just two days into their honeymoon, Pete completed suicide.
It was a very traumatic time for Dawn who had to cope with the unexpected loss of her husband; on top of the emotional distress, Dawn had financial issues to contend with. Their travel insurance company was refusing to cover the costs to repatriate Pete home to the UK, and she did not have the financial means to cover this herself. Dawn did not have access to Pete’s bank details, and the mortgage was in his name as they had just got married.
Pete’s employer got in touch with EIC, and within a day of Dawn returning home to the UK, the charity went to see her. EIC provided Dawn with an emergency grant of £2,000 to cover her immediate bills and paid her mortgage direct to the mortgage company each month. Additionally, the charity also covered the funeral expenses and organised legal support as Pete passed away without writing a will. The legal support is for probate over three months as the case is highly complex.
EIC offered Dawn bereavement counselling to help her to cope with this heartbreaking and challenging situation. She continues to have ongoing support and the charity has assisted the whole family emotionally and through complicated legal procedures.
The EIC’s Employee Assistance Programme helps to manage situations like Dawn’s and offers much-needed support to enable those left behind to continue to live their lives after the loss of a loved one.
You can show your support to those who are dealing with the traumatic effects of suicide by signing up to become a partner of the Employee Assistance Programme and help EIC to support many more people like Dawn who are experiencing personal difficulties.
