Shaughna Phillips opens up
Love Island's Shaughna Phillips is using her platform to share how she coped with grief after her dad died of cancer in 2016.
The former Islander answered questions from fans who are going through a similar situation.
And she also opened up about her own experience.
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The YouTube video is titled, 'HOW I COPED WITH MY DAD'S DEATH: A q&a on Grief at a Young Age'
In the description, Shaughna said she feels this is a topic that's not discussed enough.
And this was made more evident by, 'the sheer amount of requests [she's] had to do this video.'
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'It does make you stronger'
While the reality star understands she's no expert, she hopes her story might help others feel less alone.
She went on to say, 'there is no text book on how to cope with losing a parent or a loved one,' but insisted, 'it does make you stronger.'
Shaughna added, 'I PROMISE my next video will be WAY MORE FUN!!'
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In the video, she answered a question from a fan who revealed their father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Shaughna shared, "In my house we never really used the word terminal. Ever."
"In my head I was just living by the phrase, 'It’s not over until it’s over,' and God works in mysterious ways, so like I wasn’t giving up."
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"I don’t think I’ll ever accept it"
"Whether that was just denial, maybe, but it’s just how I coped and that’s how I dealt with it."
"I don’t think I’ll ever accept it, you kind of just manage it," she continued.
Shaughna later admitted her dad's passing, "completely changed [her]."
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She said, "I do think ultimately it was for the better. I feel like I’m such an empathetic person now."
"I feel like I can feel everyone’s heartache a lot more because I can relate and it’s made me want to do something with my life."
"Not just make money, I want to do something with actual purpose..."
Shaughna's close friends and fans have been praising her for sharing her story.
