‘I take comfort in the knowledge that, even though you are not here, your work continues to make children happy’

‘You were thrilled by my first expensive gift and your joy made me happy’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘Your children are very kind to my child – I think they could teach you a thing or two’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘I always had a feeling it could be you, but I thought I was being paranoid’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘I’m finally above reminding or begging you for closeness’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘You were moved to a home for difficult girls. I still wonder if I should have suggested you live with us’: the letter you always wanted to write

By the time you read this, I will have died peacefully under your care with my daughter at my side

‘I don’t blame you, but I want you to understand how your actions affected me’: the letter you always wanted to write

I was spending 12 hours a day trying to feed my son. You were convinced the solution was more time and effort from me

‘Hearing about the struggles you faced, I wanted to give more – but it was never enough’: the letter you always wanted to write

Mum, you’re irreplaceable – but the other women in my life are doing a pretty good job: the letter you always wanted to write

‘A single layer of brick was our only protection from months of nightly screaming’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘The sadness of leaving the hospital empty-handed is indescribable’: the letter you always wanted to write

You say little, but your presence is immense. You reinforce the essential simplicities of life

‘On our walks together, you gave me the freedom to think clearly’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘You will live for ever with the memory of your dad dying just before you turned 11’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘I wonder now whether you secretly resented me’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘When she shrieked, you didn’t look at me as if I was failing as a mother; instead I saw empathy in your eyes’: the letter you always wanted to write

‘These stories don’t show the the child who is non-verbal, who screams and growls for hours on end and attacks his or her parents on a daily basis’: the letter you always wanted to write