In 2011, Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds got the knock at the door that no parent ever wants; their 22 year old son Joshua had been killed in a road accident while travelling in Vietnam. From that moment on, their life changed fundamentally, forever.

Jane, a psychotherapist & filmmaker and Jimmy, also a filmmaker, embarked on a voyage of active grief during the following years, using their creative backgrounds to explore the new territory of parental bereavement. This lead them on a road trip throughout the U.S., an homage to Joshua who died travelling, to meet other bereaved parents and to try to de-stigmatise the conversations around parental loss.

Their documentary “A Love That Never Dies” is a product of their grief journey and a testament to their enduring love for Joshua. It is a ‘much watch’ for anyone who seeks to better understand grief, in any shape.

The documentary sold-out to a packed audience in Dublin last week, hosted by the Irish Hospice Foundation. Following the screening, Jane and Jimmy stayed with me for several days in Greystones where we talked love, grief, creativity and sea-swimming. They met with Justin and Beatrice, a local couple who had coincidentally also lost a beloved son Joshua in 2011 and who shares Jimmy’s passion for sea-swimming as an antidote to grief.

We also had breakfast with Ruth Fitzmaurice, author of “I Found My Tribe”, a former guest on Shapes Of Grief, where stories of books, documentaries, death and tattoos were shared; an immediate bond found through grief and creativity.

Episode 9 of Shapes Of Grief is a beautiful conversation I had with Jane where she shares much of her grief experience, how losing Josh changed her and the many ways their family adapted to their loss. Jane and Jimmy’s work has profoundly touched me and I know that it will continue to support and inspire those who find it.

Watch ‘A Love That Never Dies’ here.