F E AT U R E
Finlay Cooper
was just two when
tragedy struck.
Colin Cooper gives a young Wayne
Rooney a robust introduction to the
Premier League.
the final £14,000 to ensure the surgery could go ahead.
“He’s doing amazingly well, he’s now weight-bearing and
will hopefully be able to walk,” says Julie. “That’s an amazing
gift and it’s thanks to everybody who raises the money that we
were able to help him.”
“There are no barriers to what we can do,” adds Colin. “The
only rule is that it’s to help children or their families who just
need a leg up or something to make their lives a little bit easier
or better.”
Once his playing days were over, Colin studied for his coaching
badges alongside the current England coach, his former team-
mate, neighbour and close friend, Gareth Southgate.
After a spell out of work following his time as Hartlepool
manager, Colin is now back in football. The FA have asked
him to undertake a new “out of possession” coaching role,
working closely with under-21 lead coach Aidy Boothroyd but
also helping smooth the transition of England players at all
levels through to full international level.
While football has helped Colin to get his life back on
track, Julie has found both solace and healing in yoga and is
now passing on her experience as a yoga and sound therapy
teacher.
“I started yoga not long after we lost Fin,” she says. “I was
having flashbacks and couldn’t settle my mind at all. But I was
hooked from my first class. I can’t even begin to tell you what
it’s done for me. It’s helped me put everything into perspective,
spun me around 360 degrees and given me a path to follow.”
The family chose the dragonfly after being given a book
called Waterbugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney to help
Finlay’s sisters deal with his death.
“It’s about that transition and it was a massive help for us,”
says Julie. “Dragonflies start their lives under the water as
nymphs and after about two years when they’re ready, they
climb up the water lily stalk and onto the lily pad. After that
the other water nymphs don’t see them anymore.”
But the Coopers see reminders of Finlay every day, and they
still feel his presence in their lives.
“As soon as the dragonfly became a significant symbol, we
started seeing them everywhere,” Julie says.
“When I walk past people in the street they might be on
earrings or a blouse. It makes us think, yes, he’s there. I’ve
always felt that. I’m not doing it to make myself feel better,
even though it does, but there’s a very strong sense that Fin’s
around a lot, although not as much now we’re a bit further
along our journey as he was when we lost him.”
Finlay would now be 18 if he had lived. His sisters have
grown up and the eldest, Annie, gets married next year and is
putting her own experiences of grief to good use by training to
be an adult bereavement counsellor.
“Julie’s got a special birthday this year, so we’ve got lots of
celebrations to look forward to, although God knows, things
could have been a million times different,” Colin says. “But
this is where we are now and we continue to do what we need
to just to carry on.”
The fifth biannual Dragonfly Ball, the major fundraising event in the charity’s calendar, takes place
in the Grand Marquee at Wynyard Hall on Friday June 15 from 6.30pm to 1am. Tickets are £795
for a table of ten or £80 per ticket. Email [email protected] for more information.
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