A MAN has started a Facebook group to help grieving fathers after being unable to find the right support for himself. 

Sean Dunn, from Warndon, has set up a Facebook group called Harlow's Army after losing his 18-month-old son Harlow in May last year.

The group hopes to raise awareness and provide support for dads who are struggling after the death of their child. 

Mr Dunn said: "We lost Harlow on May 21 last year and it took a year for me to get any sort of counselling.

"I thought, if I could do something to help someone else who is struggling like I was and give them someone to talk to instead of bottling it up then that would be great.

"I don't see why dads should have to suffer in silence after losing a child.

"I know it's stereotypical that men tend to bottle it up, but I had all sorts of emotions and don't see why dads should suffer."

Harlow was Mr Dunn's first child and he also has a second son, Oakley Noah, who is 15 months old.

Mr Dunn said: "I was the one who found him first, I tried to resuscitate him, I felt really sick once I knew he had died. 

"I thought, what is the point of living? 

"Nothing else in the world mattered but my son.

"You should not lose your child before yourself.

"I found it easier to talk to strangers than family.

"I wish I had had someone to talk to, someone somewhere to talk and listen."

Mr Dunn said that Harlow died from Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), where there is no apparent cause for the child's death.

He is now working to try and raise awareness of SUDC, which is not widely known and understood.

The group, set up on June 11, currently has 74 members and hopes to show dads that they are not alone. 

To join the group, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1546575106289066/?ref=share&rdid=T95I8AMSMBfKVEIU&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2FYvV8tYkhVgt5EBLd%2F

Mr Dunn added: "There should be a lot more support for dads, the system is amazing for mums and I think men are supposed to just hold it together, but let's talk about it.

"I had nothing until after a year, I hope that this group will help dads talk and ask for support. 

"Why should the mother get more support than the dad when they are both suffering from the same loss?

"The mental health side of losing a child is awful so if I can help someone else it will be worth it."