health
‘They took everything’: arson attack destroyed a mother’s memories of her dead son
Karen Holmes lost a son to cancer, then her home in Yorkshire to a fire; the house is now refurbished but its meaning has gone
TL;DR
- Karen Holmes cannot live in her renovated house, which was damaged by a petrol bomb attack.
- The house was a place of comfort and connection to her son, Dylan, who died there in 2017.
- The repairs have altered the house so significantly that it no longer holds the same meaning or comfort for Karen.
- The arson attack has exacerbated her grief and led to withdrawal from family life and a reduction in visits to her son's grave.
- Karen feels that the house and the memories associated with it have been taken from her, stating 'It’s not my house any more.'