Elsie’s Story

TW: This episode contains devastating conversations around child loss from a traumatic event, and themes of grief. Please do take care of yourself while reading, watching and listening, and know that it’s completely okay to step away and come back when you’re ready.

“She made me a mum and she made David a dad, and I’ll be forever grateful to Elsie for that,” Jen Stancombe tells Gi in this week’s deeply moving episode of the podcast.

Jen and David, or Day, as he’s known, had grown up together in Southport, and shared a dream of starting a family. And from the minute Elsie was born the year after they married, they realised she was “one of a kind”.

“Day always used to say, ‘She’s a little bit of me and a little bit of you,’” Jen says. “It was like that thing that we would say: ‘Oh my gosh, a little bit of me and a little bit of you!’ And we were so proud of ourselves.”

Named in part after Jen’s beloved Grandma Dot, Elsie had arrived earlier than expected under the guise of indigestion after going out for dinner.

“I think she was four weeks, six days early,” Jen says. “So I had that five extra weeks with her, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

When Jen and Day’s youngest daughter followed her into the world, Elsie stepped up proudly into the role of big sister, playing a key part in her socially-distanced gender reveal during the pandemic, and doting on her attentively around busy days at the local primary school both her parents had attended themselves.

But on 29th of July 2024, the happy family’s life changed forever.

Elsie was murdered during a holiday club dance class, along with Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Forever etched amongst the agonizing memories, is the moment they broke the news to their youngest daughter.

“I can’t sit here and say I know what to do and how to parent while you’re grieving and how to parent a child as well that’s experiencing loss,” Jen says. “There’s just no right and wrong answer. I’m just trying…”

Today, while they continue to process and navigate their shattering grief together as a family, Jen and Day are on a mission on behalf of children facing life’s toughest challenges. They are inspired by Elsie, and the journey they are on with her little sister.

Elsie’s Story is a charitable trust that makes grants to support and create precious memories for children and their loved ones, bringing the ‘joy, love and hope’ Elsie radiated to those in need in the local area, as part of her fitting, beautiful and enduring legacy.

“I just didn't want Elsie to be known for what happened to her,” Jen says. “That was the start of that journey… There are many children in our community that realise a lot younger than they should that bad things happen in the world, and unfortunately in their town,” Jen explains. “I thought that if we started Elsie’s Story, we stood up there as Elsie’s mum and dad show we will not be beaten…

“All she ever wanted to do is bring happiness to other people, and that’s my job now. I have to do that for her.”

Find out more about Elsie’s Story

Listen to Jen Stancombe’s story in this week’s podcast episode from Tuesday.Watch the episode in full on YouTube