Letters to Andrew: Rhiannon

Editors Note: The Foundation has now officially been born. To introduce ourselves, the trustees, we decided to each write a letter to Andrew to talk to him and tell him what we’re up to. These letters have made us laugh, cry, to feel inspired to work together and to enjoy what we’re doing. We hope that you can glean something from them of what we’ve experienced in losing Andrew and why we are wanting to make a go of The Andrew Gidney Foundation.

Andrew,

4 years have gone by quicker than I think any of your loved ones could comprehend. Yet my fondest memories of you are still as clear as the day they happened. 

Whenever I'm baking and adding the icing to something I always remember the time I came home to our 2nd year university house and you asked me for help because your buttercream icing didn't look right... You asked to use my icing sugar and I asked how much you'd used so far. Now the issue wasn't the icing sugar... Nope, it was the fact you'd microwaved the butter!

It took about 2 full boxes of icing sugar after a trip to Lidl to get some kind of usable icing.

Still tasted amazing though.

Just as amazing as the pigs in blankets you made for our Christmas meal as well. They came out much better than the turkey, which took about 4 hours to cook in that awful fan oven!

I still like to look at the Facebook picture of me trying on the pumpkin from your Halloween costume every now and then too. You had to keep carving and carving to get it to go over your head!

Your Shaun of the Dead costume was just as awesome too.

I only knew you for around 2 years, but it didn't take the 2 years to realise you were one of the kindest souls there was on this earth.

You will forever be missed and carried through the memories of so many people whose hearts you touched. 

I joined the Andrew Gidney Foundation with the hopes that we can help provide an outlet for young people like yourself, Andrew, so they can hopefully not feel so alone in tackling their mental struggles. It's hard to reach out, but if we can give young people a chance to have something they look forward to every week, or however long, then hopefully that will give them strength.

With love always, 

Rhiannon