22.5.2019

Jan Telensky sponsors the programme for soldiers’ widows.

Story

The widows of the English soldiers are recovering in The High Tatras. They are helping each other to overcome the sorrow in Slovakia.

They are just over twenty and they are already widows. Young wife of English soldiers that were hit by fatal bullets in Afghanistan a few months ago arrived to recover in the High Tatras. They are helping each other to overcome the loss of their loved ones in Slovakia, in Poprad’s Aquacity.

They were invited here for a few days in cooperation with the BBC radio program Holiday for Heroes. A year ago they didn’t know each other and today they are on holiday together in the High Tatras. Amanda, Naomi and Natalie from Great Britain joined together the painful death of their husbands. Their loved ones joined the army and were escorted to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan. In one of the most dangerous combat zones around the globe were killed in the performance of the combat duties.

Few months after their death the widows came to Slovakia to recover from their grief. This week they are recovering in Aquacity Poprad where they were invited through programme called Holiday for Heroes. Sponsor of the programme is the majority owner of Aquapark, Ján Telenský. The widows told Novy Čas, that the belief that their husbands died as heroes and their death wasn’t worthless is helping them to overcome the grief. „Sean by his death saved mother with two kids and then he was shot by the enemy bullets. I was told this by his two friends who seen him die. I am keeping it in my head and it is helping me to move forward with my life,” said Amanda Binnie (22) from Belfast.

Young women were marked by the war for the whole life by the loss of their loved ones. Amanda was told the sad news by the ministry of defence. Naomi from Gatwick received the saddest news in her life by sms. “My mother in law sent it to me. The Taliban sniper shot John into his neck. There was no help. First few days I couldn’t do anything”, said with the shaky voice Naomi (25). Widows become friends and they carrying on just by remembering the stories of their loved ones.

„We have same fate. We can feel what the other one goes through. We talk about it a lot and this is the way in which we help each other,“ added Natalie (23), who takes the death of her husband most difficult. Her husband Jamie died in a car, which unfortunately overdrove the put up mine.

The widow of a soldier: The death of the husband was unnecessary
To cope with the sudden death of a young husband is one of the most difficult tests of life. Three young widows of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan are helping each other to overcome the personal tragedy in Poprad.

Before Amanda, Naomi and Natalie arrived to Poprad they didn’t seen or know each other. They were joined together by the British radio programme called Holiday for Heroes who offered them to stay at the thermal park in Poprad.
Together it’s better
“We were thinking about it only for about an hour. I called girls and we have agreed that we are going”, said Naomi Wiggins from London. Girls are saying that the same story of the loss of their husbands in Afghanistan is bringing them together and they talk about it a lot. “it helps us, we feel big relief after it”, says Natalie Fellows.
He saved mother and her two children
Naomi found out about death of her husband while on holiday in Tunisia. “It was the worst sms in my life. First few days I could even pick up tooth brush and brush my teeth, then I moved forward with the great help of my family,” says Naomi. The knowledge that the death of her husband wasn’t worthless is helping Amanda Binnie from Belfast to overcome the loss of her husband. “I say this to my friends and it helps me to get over the worst. Sean saved mother and her two children”. Her husband disarmed the grenade that was supposed to explode in the house of the Afghan Family. Even Naomi and Natalie lost their husbands in a horrific way. Naomi’s John was struck directly into his neck by Taliban sniper. The put-up explosion killed Natalie’s Jamie.
Girls will spend their time in The High Tatras until Friday. They are planning to go shopping and they want to look around the town. They say that after the visit in Slovakia they will continue to see each other more often.