To Whom It May Concern,
My Mother recently passed away from a heart attack here in Dubai, which came suddenly and without any fore‐warning whatsoever.
I can’t express how at ease I felt with John and his team from the very moment that he answered the telephone. Here was someone obviously used to dealing with grief, albeit vicariously, and his telephone manner instantly made me feel grateful to the nurse at the hospital the previous evening. I immediately felt that I was in not only competent, but understanding, hands.
I will be forever in John and his team’s debt for the fact that they took over as much of the dealing with authorities as they could. Obviously there are integral parts of the process that require the presence of family, but where possible, Grafco ensured that they dealt with things themselves and reported back to me with regular updates, thus allowing me time to spend grieving with my wife, Sister and Father.
“Grafco” probably dealt with 80% of the procedures autonomously, which was an enormous relief. I can sincerely say that if I had to deal with any more uncaring people at that time of loss, my temper would have snapped, which would have served no positive purpose. John and his team’s demeanor, though, when dealing with these authorities was perfect. They somehow managed to generate a calming influence on my family and me whilst at the same time expediting the entire process where possible.
From my Mother’s passing to her being released for transportation to the United Kingdom took eight days, which at the time seemed an inordinately lengthy wait. Whilst at the mortuary, however, there were relatives of other people attempting to repatriate their loved ones, some of whom had been deceased for up to five months – and still they were being turned away due to incorrect paperwork. This may sound like a strange emotion to feel, but with the benefit of hind sight, I can truthfully say that I felt lucky to be there with John and his team.
They held my hand, figuratively speaking, for eight days, and offered a proverbial shoulder to cry on throughout. And whilst I am sure that I was not their only client going through similar processes at the time, it appeared as if I was. Without them, I simply would not have coped.
The last thing that I would like to bring to the attention of whoever is reading this is one of cost. Clearly at the time of losing a loved one, you would undoubtedly be prepared to pay whatever it takes to gain some peace of mind that you are being helped by compassionate professionals and that you are in the best possible hands – that feeling is absolutely priceless. But the cost of “Grafco’s” service, in my opinion, is totally under‐valued. Although I have no point of reference for comparison, as my Mother is the only relative I have lost whilst living overseas, I would doubt that a better service could possibly exist, regardless of the cost.
So if you have lost a loved one recently, and need or want to repatriate them, you will need to engage the services of a professional, and there couldn’t exist a better, more professional, more compassionate group of people to assist you through your time of grief and to expedite the process on your behalf. Speaking from personal experience, I urge you not to attempt this alone for the sake of your own sanity.
I will always hold a debt of heartfelt gratitude towards “Grafco” as there is absolutely nothing that can ever be done to repay them. I conclude, therefore, by saying thank you John, Ronnie and everyone else.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Wright