A mother has shared heartbreaking footage of her two-year-old son singing goodbye to his tragic dad's headstone.
Darren Langton, 33, passed away suddenly from unknown causes at their home in Dorchester, Dorset, just three days after his son Harvey's first birthday in October 2017.
Little Harvey was left to be brought up by his mum Jessica Pillinger, and the pair visited Darren's memorial stone every Sunday.
But not understanding what the grave means, Harvey prefers to show his dad his favourite toy cars, while Jessica lovingly tends his memorial.
Emotional footage shows the youngster lay on the inscribed stone while playing with his cars and singing 'bye bye daddy' repeatedly before heading home - with a smile on his face.
Jessica believes the gut-wrenching pictures and video show the reality of a toddler not understanding the death of a parent as she wrestles of how to tell Harvey without 'turning his world upside down'.
She has shared the video ahead of Father's Day to show how Harvey has a special connection with his dad despite them spending just one precious year together.
Jessica, who now lives in Bournemouth, Dorset, said: "As much as I want to say it’s a nice feeling seeing him [playing] like that, it’s actually more heartbreaking because I think of the relationship they would have had.
"But that’s why I take photos, because when he’s older he’ll be able to see he was participating.
"I think this video shows the reality for a lot of other little ones [who've lost a parent]. Even though they've lost one parent, they've still got another.
"You can see from the video that he's okay. He knows Daddy's not there, but he doesn't know he's died.
"Given his age, I don't think he understands the concept of death. He's just used to a life of Daddy's photos and talking about it through me.
"I've made a decision that I'll continue doing what I've been doing and gradually embed it as much as I can, and I'm going to leave it to Harvey to ask me.
"That's how I know he'll be ready for it. I don't want to be the one to turn his world upside down.
"I'll sit him down and I want to be the one to tell him. I don't want it to be from anyone else, I want it to come from me.
“We go to his memorial stone every Sunday and lay flowers - it’s a weekly ritual for us.
“At first, I don’t think Harvey was fully aware of what it was, but I would say ‘right, we’re going to see Daddy now’. Now, he knows.
"When we’re turning into the road of the memorial ground, he’ll say ‘Daddy’.
“Harvey’s quite a shy kid, but when he’s there he’ll run down all excited shouting ‘Daddy, Daddy! Look - cars!'
“When we get to the stone, he’ll then lay down and play. He’s connected it all together.
"Even when we’re at home, I’ll say ‘we’re going to see Daddy today. What toys would you like to take?’
“He’ll help me arrange the flowers or if the stone needs cleaning, I’ll give him the sponge and pour the water over while he’s scrubbing away."
On the afternoon of October 25, 2017, Jessica and Harvey returned home to find Darren had passed away unexpectedly.
She said paramedics and police arrived and confirmed his death.
An inquest ruled his death was 'undetermined' and Jessica says they will never know why he was suddenly taken from them.
While Jessica will never have all the answers, she plans ahead to involve Darren in their lives as much as possible - including at bedtime.
She said: "In the last three months, Harvey’s been asking a lot. He looks around and if anyone is blonde haired, he’s asking if it’s Daddy.
“I’ve done a billboard in his bedroom with photos because in the first year, we were always going out doing things like Marwell Zoo and Longleat. We also went on holiday to Turkey.
“I make it our routine at night, instead of reading a bedtime story, I’ll get Harvey to pick a photo and the story for that night will be what that photo is about.
Jessica's sister also helped to liven Darren's memory by decorating a treasure chest with pictures of Harvey and Darren, as well as item of Darren inside.
As Father's Day approaches, Jessica and Harvey will spend the time together, just the two of them.
Jessica hopes by sharing her experience as a widow with a young child, she will help others starting out on their journey.
Jessica said: "At the beginning it was really hard. Harvey is the spitting image of his dad.
"During grieving you’re trying to get used to that person not being around.
“It was rewarding in a way because you’ve still got part of that person around, but then it’s hard because it’s a reminder of what you had and what’s not there.
“I would say to people use your children. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Harvey.
“For someone so innocent and so unaware, he is my rock. As much as you feel down, know that you’ve got a little life to live for."
A spokeswoman from Winston’s Wish, who provide support to bereaved children, said: “This poignant video shows us a little child reacting in a very beautiful, simple way during a visit to his father's grave, sharing his cars which is maybe something he and his father had played with together.
"The loss of a parent during childhood can be one of the most painful and devastating experiences a child will ever have to face – during what is a critical time for their emotional development.
"It’s so important that children receive the right support at the time, so that they may face their futures with confidence and hope.
"While we [at Winston’s Wish] can’t change what has happened to them, we can help them to understand their emotions and provide a safe place for them to grieve.
"Over time, we help them to make sense of what’s and learn to live with – and beyond – their grief."
