Our Story
We are Brad & Tory, the founders of Dandelions Retreat. Below is our story and the stories of other families.
We first met at a New Year’s Eve party under the mistletoe in 1984. Life took us in different directions for a few years, but we found our way back to each other in 1997 and married that May. Later that year, we welcomed our son Daniel, and in 1999 our family was completed with the arrival of Oliver.
Together we renovated three homes while raising our two mischievous boys, alongside Daniel’s beloved Inuit dog, a feisty ginger tomcat, and plenty of other pets over the years. Brad works as a builder, while I’m an artist and have been a Christian for the past 30 years. Today, we’re proud grandparents to our beautiful grandson Carson.
Some of our happiest memories are family holidays in Rhodes, where the boys loved swimming and snorkelling. Those days were filled with sunshine, laughter, freedom, and love — memories we’ll always treasure.
Daniel was always curious, and after finishing his A-levels in 2017, he bravely joined the Army. They saw his potential and put him in Air Tech, where he trained to become a helicopter engineer. His love for building and understanding how things work really shone through. From a young age, he had always enjoyed constructing intricate Lego designs and exploring science and electronics.
With his first pay, Dan treated himself to a Subaru Impreza, a car he cherished and loved to tinker with.
On 5 October 2018, Dan turned 21. For his birthday, Brad and Tory took him to Abingdon racetrack, where he got to race three different cars around the track and set the fastest speed that day. After lunch, they hugged him and said their goodbyes, telling him they loved him and were so proud of him. That was the last time they saw him. On 5 November 2018, the army and police told them he was missing, and they found his car in the car park at Birling Gap, a well-known suicide spot in the UK.
Every parent’s worst nightmare came true when Daniel’s body was found eight days later. His funeral took place on 5 December 2018 at a local church, attended by a full army guard, in pouring rain.
Striving to move forward, we want to use our experience to support other grieving parents and families
Help Us Grow a Community of Hope
By sharing your story, you could help another family feel less alone.
At Dandelions Retreat, we believe that healing begins when people realise they are not walking this journey by themselves. Every story shared with us helps to raise awareness of the impact of suicide within the Armed Forces community, breaks down stigma, and offers hope to others who may be facing the same unimaginable loss.
If you have lost a serving member of the Armed Forces or a veteran to suicide and feel ready to share their story, we would be honoured to hear from you.
With your permission, we may feature your story in Our Stories, helping to create a place of remembrance, understanding and support for other bereaved families.
If you would like to share your story, please contact us here. Every submission will be treated with the utmost compassion, dignity and respect.