The Heart Behind Quinn’s Retreat

Quinn’s Retreat was born from the deepest kind of heartbreak—the loss of a child to suicide. On the 9th of December 2018, we lost our beautiful daughter Quinn. She was just 17 years old—vibrant, kind, and full of promise. That day changed our lives forever. In the days that followed, grief engulfed our family, but we knew we wanted to honour Quinn’s memory in a meaningful way.

At first, we decided to create a small memorial garden near the place where we lost Quinn—a peaceful space where people could come to remember her. We began fundraising to buy a bench and tidy the area. To our surprise, the response was overwhelming. In just one day, we raised far more than we had expected. It was clear that Quinn had touched many lives, and the community wanted to support us.

Before we lost Quinn, we had planned to spend Christmas away together in a holiday cottage in the Peak District—just the four of us: Quinn, her older brother Dyllon, my husband, and me. With her funeral taking place on the Friday before Christmas, we weren’t sure if we could still go. But Dyllon suggested we leave town for a while, to escape the heavy silence and the sympathetic glances that met us everywhere we turned. We decided to go.

That week away became a turning point for us. In that little cottage, with our dogs Lenni and Mabel curled up beside us, we laughed and cried together. We shared memories of Quinny, recalled her cheeky smile, her humour, her gentle heart. We went out for dinner—something we couldn’t have imagined doing back home so soon after her death. In that unfamiliar place, we felt free to just be together in our grief, without judgment or expectations. It gave us a moment to breathe.

It was during that break that the seed for Quinn’s Retreat was planted. We realized how valuable that time away had been for us—and we wanted to offer the same comfort to other families bereaved by suicide. A space to be together. A space to feel safe. A space to begin healing.

But heartbreak struck again far too soon. On the 8th of October 2019, just ten months after we lost Quinn, we also lost Dyllon to suicide. He was 21. Kind, loving, and full of empathy, Dyllon had always carried so much on his shoulders. He told us once that he hadn’t realized until Quinn died that she was his best friend. The grief was too heavy, and in the end, he simply couldn’t carry it anymore.

Losing both of our children in such a short time is a pain that no words can fully express. But out of that pain came an even deeper commitment to help others walking a similar path.

In January 2020, Quinn’s Retreat became an officially registered charity. By February, we were able to purchase our first holiday caravan in Barnard Castle—a peaceful place where families affected by suicide could spend time together. In 2021, we added a second caravan just outside Appleby, which we named “Dyl’s Den” in loving memory of our son.

Through Quinn’s Retreat, we provide free short breaks for families bereaved by suicide—giving them time and space away from the pressures and reminders of everyday life. These retreats are not about fixing grief. They’re about honouring it. They’re about being together, remembering, and beginning the slow, personal journey toward healing in a place of peace and privacy.

Our charity exists because of Quinn and Dyllon. Their lives were short, but they were filled with love. Through every family we support, their memory lives on.

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