A mum is publishing a nursery rhyme book in memory of her son, after he died suddenly - to help keep his memory alive for his beloved four-year-old daughter.
Tom Williams, drummer for Ipswich band Hot Tramp, died on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, after having a seizure in his sleep — a condition named Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).
The 29-year-old suffered from nocturnal epilepsy since his late teens attending the University of Nottingham. He had to drop a maths degree due to the stress it caused, increasing to one seizure each month when he returned home to Suffolk.
At the time of his death, he worked at legal firm Birketts and played regular gigs with bandmates Josh Carr and Lewis Grey — friends from his time at Claydon High School.
Tragically, he left behind daughter Daisy, who misses him very much.
He has now inspired a poetry book which Tom's mum, Janice, hopes will help comfort other bereaved children, as well as raising awareness for SUDEP.
"Daisy loves to look at pictures of her and daddy together," the grandma, who is an artist, explained.
"Her little face lights up every time and she talks to him, telling him about her day.
"She really loves to sit there talking about Tom and hearing poems about him, so I thought it would be a really good keepsake."
Janice also runs bereavement websites and someone suggested her poems for Daisy might be helpful for other children in grief.
There is also a lack of awareness about the different types of epilepsy. Every fit for Tom could have been fatal.
So Janice's book of poems, entitled A Pocket Full of Rhyme...Daddy and Me, will also raise awareness for SUDEP.
"It was just such a total shock to us all," she added.
"Tom was so popular and everyone loved him. He was so easy going and even though its been a year now it's still very raw.
"I hope this book can help raise awareness and comfort other little children out there who have lost parents or loved ones."
A Pocket Full of Rhyme...Daddy and Me is being released on April 12 and can be pre-ordered here.
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