Iain Cunningham always knew his birth had something to do with his mum's death when he was three.
Iain Cunningham always believed that his birth had something to do with his mother's death, but whatever it was seemed to be a family secret that couldn't be discussed. It wasn't until Iain was an adult with a family of his own that he uncovered who his mother really was and why she had died."It was like a religious experience," Iain says."It was very powerful - it was the first time I'd seen photographs of her, the first time I'd seen anything.
"We didn't have two ha'pennies to rub together," Don remembers."Inflation had gone through the roof so we didn't go out an awful lot, but there was a pub not far away that we used to walk to, and we'd sit with one drink all night long because we were saving to get married."Don and Irene tied the knot a couple of years later - just as the UK economy was grinding to a standstill - and within a couple of years they were expecting their first child.
Irene spent about nine months in hospital, but there then followed a period of around 18 months during which she was living happily at home with her young son and husband, taking Iain to the park and to cafes, and on walks to visit friends. "I was 28 and my life had fallen apart," Don says."I didn't know what I was going to do with myself, left on my own with a very small child. How was I ever going to get my life back together?"Growing up, Iain had many nightmares about his mother dying, in which he'd see himself running down a hospital corridor away from a blazing fire.
"When you build a new life you don't want to keep going back over what happened before - you're just concentrating on being a family together." "I wanted to amplify her a bit and celebrate her as a person - but first I needed to find out who she was, I really didn't know anything about her." "I'd never seen a photo of my mum until I was 18, and even then just the ones in the box," Iain says.
"I think there was confusion at the time about what happened," Iain says."And mental health was something that people found harder to talk about then - there's still stigma around it today." They may include: hallucinations; delusions ; a manic mood ; feeling"high" or"on top of the world"; a low mood; being withdrawn or tearful; lacking energy; loss of appetite; anxiety or trouble sleeping; loss of inhibitions; feeling suspicious or fearful; restlessness; feeling very confused; behaving in a way that's out of characterAnother doctor told Iain that the antipsychotic drugs that Irene was being prescribed were toxic to her heart, and that the"heroic...
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
15 of the best alcohol-free and low alcohol drink optionsFrom non-alcoholic wine to beers, gins and Prosecco, we review our favourites.
Read more »
15 podcasts that focus on compelling discussions around race15 podcasts that focus on compelling discussions around race in 2020:
Read more »
Missing Down syndrome boy, 15, is found dead in a pond near Michigan homeA BOY with Down syndrome who went missing last week in Michigan has been found dead in a pond near his family home. Charles Cordes, 15, was last spotted riding his bike through a hayfield in Montmo…
Read more »
15 of the best alcohol-free and low alcohol drink optionsFrom non-alcoholic wine to beers, gins and Prosecco, we review our favourites.
Read more »
New mum, 35, died from coronavirus before she could hold her baby boyBoots make-up specialist Sarah Scully, from West Bromwich, West Midlands, was immediately separated from her newborn son after giving birth because medics suspected she was infected with coronavirus
Read more »
'Mum died and we were left to fend for ourselves'Three women share what it is like to witness a parent die - and then lose the other when a step-parent arrives on the scene.
Read more »