Hello Grief - Be My Friend

Everything changed for Robina Haines on the afternoon of the 25th September 2015.

The knock at the door changed her life irrevocably. She was told that her husband had passed away on a remote BHP mine site he worked on in the north of WA. The jigsaw of her life was smashed and what followed was a rapid spiral into the world of grief. Slowly picking up the pieces of her fragile, fractured home life another blow was to be dealt when Robina was diagnosed with Breast Cancer less than 12 months later.

Hello Grief – Be My Friend is a personal account of all the emotions a family can go through in the event of an adverse situation like a sudden death. It also includes a contact guide at the back of the book which gives information on everything from cancer networks to coroner’s information. There is also a checklist of all the things a person may have to deal with when a sudden death happens.

The book also talks of coping mechanisms. How to make some positive changes in your life and build resilience within a family. It is a book that can be read and understood by everyone. It is relatable to many situations and it aims to help those who are looking for a way out of a black hole.

Hello Grief – Be My Friend is a must read for everyone. Ultimately grief is experienced by everyone. Learning, appreciating and respecting grief’s impact and processes on us, and coming to terms with them, is one of the most valuable lessons we could ever hav

About the Author

Robina Haines lives in Perth Western Australia, however she grew up in the wheat belt area in rural Western Australia. Her husband Nigel was from farming heritage but later went into the mining industry. The family had settled and had three young children when Robina received the news that her husband had tragically died on the minesite he worked on. With limited resources and lack of published, available books relating to her situation, Robina started documenting the experiences she and her family experienced from the day the tragic news was delivered. Less than a year later, Robina was diagnosed with breast cancer. The second half of the book talks of her journey through a cancer battle.

Hello Grief – Be My Friend took nearly three years to complete. It is a raw record of exactly what happens to a family when a loved one dies. In keeping with this theme, her second book, My Star was written. This is story of her youngest son and his interpretation of losing father and coming to terms with it. This is also a true record. Two more books are in production. These are also books that help in the journey of a cancer diagnosis and to help the bereaved.