Suzanne Richards lost most of her family when a terrorist killed 38 people in a Tunisian resort. Eight years on, she remembers that terrible day, and the sense of purpose she found in the aftermath
“I was just about to make some lunch,” recalls Richards via a video call from her home in the West Midlands. “An unknown number flashed up on my phone. Normally I wouldn’t answer, but for some reason I did. And that was when I heard Owen screaming: ‘There’s a gunman and they’re all dead!’ He was so distressed that I initially couldn’t tell which son was speaking. Then we were cut off.”
Eventually, Richards tried to call her mother but couldn’t get through. “She only lives five minutes away, so I jumped in the car – I don’t know how on earth I drove. Then I had to break the terrible news that she had lost her husband, son and grandson. But even as I said the words, I was still living in hope that somehow we had got it wrong, or the news was wrong. Maybe an ambulance had got to them in time.
“I think if they had been there, then perhaps I wouldn’t have had to see what I saw,” she says. “After several hours, my best friend and I were able to identify them.” She pauses. “I got through it by going on auto-pilot. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian It was that public interest that helped Richards and Owen move forward after such a seismic loss. “People wanted to do something but they didn’t know what, so they sent money or they did fundraisers. So money was coming in to us from everywhere. Thank goodness our postman knows where we live because some of it was just addressed to the Richards Family, Walsall, or to Joel, Walsall FC.”
To date, the charity has helped more than 1,000 family members and raised more than £500,000. It also works with the Foreign Office and the travel industry to highlight holiday safety, especially the issue of hotel security.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gambling addiction a factor in 184 suicides in Victoria over eight years, study findsLandmark review of coroner’s court data finds vast majority of cases involved men aged between 17 and 44
Read more »
Race-by-race guide and tips for Grafton on MondayAll you need to know for the eight-race meeting.
Read more »
AFL and NRL fans on alert for ticket scams as illegal listings removed from resale platformsGovernment officials are monitoring websites amid record demand for finals tickets which saw one AFL game at the MCG sell out in eight minutes
Read more »
Teen killers jailed for 'frenzied, savage' attack on 16-year-old boyDeclan Cutler was leaving a house party in Melbourne when he was set upon by a group of eight teens.
Read more »
Big industry super unites in political lobbying power playA new “big eight” of superannuation funds will dominate the $3.5 trillion retirement savings system with a lobby group dominated by Labor heavyweights.
Read more »