After the tragedy that took place in April 2020, when Joanna’s 3.5-year-old son Kacperek drowned in the Kwisa while in his father’s care, another trauma was added to the trauma of losing a child: the fight for custody of Kacperek’s grieving siblings and for the means to support the children.
Kacperek had three siblings: twins Karol and Sara (in 2020, the children were 5 years old) and Stella, who was 7 in 2020. Karolek suffered the death of his youngest brother most severely. In his child’s imagination, he decided that on the day of the tragedy he could have gone with little Kacperek and Dad to the allotment and watched over his little brother. Karolek only revealed his trauma to his therapist during the sessions he attended.
The grief and trauma following the loss of his little brother were compounded by fear that the children might be placed in foster care.