Helping families cope with death

SHOULDERS TO CRY ON: Volunteer Anne Ryan and John Corben, Canterbury-Tasman practice manager.

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Anne Ryan could get a call at any time to help people whose lives have been devastated by a fatal car crash.

The Christchurch Victim Support volunteer, who has helped people to deal with grief and trauma for nine years, said the effect of crashes on victims and their families was "horrific".

Crashes make up a large part of the work of the organisation's staff, whose work sometimes begins at an accident scene.

Ryan said the first job was to deal with the family's immediate reaction.

This meant helping them with issues such as going to the mortuary and dealing with the media.

"For a lot of people, it's their first experience with having someone killed. We can point them in the right direction, but it's imperative that they make their own decisions," she said.

"We're not there to stop people feeling what they're feeling. We don't want people to be scared of the feelings they're experiencing."

A Victim Support worker could support family members for more than a year, helping them through any court case or inquest.

Some victims kept up relationships with the volunteers, while others saw them as a reminder of their loss.

Canterbury-Tasman practice manager John Corben said there were about 60 registered volunteers in the region.

He said a large part of their work was helping prepare victim-impact statements for court cases.

New volunteers were always welcomed and inquiries could be made through 0800 VOLUNTEER, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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