Daughter of Brit couple who died on Egypt holiday describes heartache of facing first Christmas without them
The family have set up a festive shrine in their home for John and Susan
THE daughter of a Brit couple who died on a Thomas Cook holiday in Egypt tells of her heartbreak at spending her first Christmas without them.
Kelly Ormerod, 40, watched her parents die on the floor of their hotel room back in August.
As the family prepare to celebrate Christmas without John and Susan Cooper, they've created a festive shrine complete with photo-baubles to commemorate their lives.
Children Molly, 13, Jessica, 11 and Jackson, 8, put the festive decorations up to brighten their home.
Their gradnparents' ashes also lie in a box under the tree.
John, 69, and Susan, 63, died at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada on August 21 after they both collapsed a week into their holiday.
The pair died within an hour of each other - but it's still not entirely clear how.
Kelly told : “The reality that my mum and dad are no longer here is only just beginning to sink in now.
“The children are feeling it more the closer we get to Christmas. The other day we watched some videos of them on my mum’s phone, just to hear their voices, and we all broke down crying.
“All we could do was hold each other while we wailed.”
The family will go to John's favourite dog-walking spot in Burnley to lay a wreath on Christmas Day and hope to install a memorial bench there in the future.
Each of Kelly's children will receive a teddy made from their grandparents' clothes for Christmas.
Kelly, a civil servant working for Revenue and Customs, added: “We want Christmas to be a happy occasion as much as possible for the sake of the children. I am trying to stay strong for them. This year I take comfort knowing Mum and Dad are under the tree.
“I talk to them whenever I want them to know the children have done something they’d appreciate, or I remember something they’d like.
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"But they will always be present and involved and we will include them in all future Christmases.”
Kelly also wrote a card for her parents in which she wrote: “Although you are not here sharing Christmas with us in person, you are always in our hearts.
"You will never be forgotten. We will cry but we will also remember the good times. Miss you both like crazy. Love you forever.”
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