A MUM from Neyland who established a charity helping families to cope with bereavement after the tragic deaths of her baby son and husband has won a prestigious national award.

At a glittering ceremony at the Senedd last night (Thursday), Rhian Burke won the Citizenship award at the St Davids Awards, which acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of people in Wales.

In 2012, Rhian’s life was changed forever when she lost her son, one year-old George, and her husband, Paul in quick succession.

Rhian, who now lives near Cardiff, feels the lack of support offered to her and Paul after George’s sudden may have played a part in Paul’s death less than a week later.

The 37-year-old set up bereavement charity 2 Wish Upon A Star – which aims to ensure all hospitals in Wales have a dedicated space for families to grieve in private.

At the ceremony Rhian rubbed shoulders with the likes of Michael Sheen who won the International award for his work as an actor and humanitarian.

Rhian told the Western Telegraph: “I am extremely touched and honoured to have won the St Davids Award for Citizenship.

“It was a very bittersweet moment to hear my name announced as I would give anything to go back to the happy life I led back in 2012.

“I can’t thank people enough for believing in me and wanting to help myself and 2 Wish Upon A Star make a difference to the suddenly bereaved parents of this country.

“This truly means the world.”

2 Wish Upon A Star has raised around £350,000, all from small public donations, and opened its first bereavement suite at the University Hospital Wales last year, with another scheduled to open soon at the Prince Charles Hospital.

“I felt parents needed something to feel their bereavement mattered,” said Rhian.

“There was nowhere for us to say our final goodbye to George.”

The charity also provides “memory boxes” to five hospitals in South Wales, which contain a camera, a hand print kit, an organza bag to keep a lock of hair, and two teddy bears – one which stays with the child, and one for mum and dad to take home.

There was further local success at the awards as a trio of Cardigan RNLI crewmen scooped the bravery award.

Derek Pusey, Leonard Walters and Clive Williams won the award for their roles in a dramatic night-time rescue near Tresaith in Ceredigion in September 2013.

They risked their lives to save two people stranded on a ledge among steep rocks.

The men were cut off by the tide and in danger of being swept out to sea from the base of a cliff on the beach at Tresaith. They were rescued by the RNLI team and returned to shore.

They RNLI men just pipped a trio of Pembrokeshire police officers to the bravery prize.

Dyfed-Powys police officers Mark Jones, Matthew Thomas and Jim Salmon risked their lives to rescue two men from a house fire in Haverfordwest in November 2013.

Andrew Evans, the Managing Director of the St Brides Spa Hotel in Saundersfoot had been nominated in the Enterprise Award category.

As well as transforming the hotel into a premier destination in Wales, Mr Evans is heavily involved in the tourism sector in Pembrokeshire promoting the county and raising its profile.

Mr Evans narrowly lost out to Mario Kreft MBE, who is chairman of Care Forum Wales.