I have just been reading some more of the messages sent to my son and to myself from people who have seen Nick’s story and got in touch.

There are messages from people we know, seldom in person, most often through the friendships that have built online over the years, through the support we have been blessed with by people right from the start. Many we will never meet, some few we have been lucky enough to meet and hug in person.

There are messages from friends of friends, people we can see where they have ‘come from’. And this shows a chain of caring that is very precious.

And then there are the messages from complete strangers, who have come across this story from goodness knows where, and have been inspired to contact us. There are humbling messages, from people the world over who can relate, in one way or another, to what my son has lived through and the way he has responded.

I have also just read these messages to my son.

Like me, he is awed and humbled by the beauty of the human spirit that can reach out to a friend or stranger, giving love and support. Like me, he is overwhelmed by the sheer volume and beauty of these simple messages.

Both of us are profoundly moved by messages from others who are facing their own daily struggles and who tell Nick they are finding inspiration and courage through his story.

But this is not an isolated tale. This is a story that is happening right now, possibly only a few moments from where you live, often in silence, often in loneliness and isolation. Everyone has their own trials in life, their own challenges. It doesn’t matter if they seem big or small, when you are caught up in them they are huge and often all consuming.

And there are those too, who equally quietly, try to help.

I came across something today. It said: The only response to suffering is compassion. We cannot understand it, we cannot explain it, we cannot end it. In compassion we do not hide from suffering, we do not explain it away, we simply love right through it.

For those who are struggling with their own personal hell, sometimes that is all it takes to make the difference.

So from my heart to yours,

Thank you.