THE parents of Finlay Woods say only one of their children has been offered counselling in the year since his tragic death.
Little Finlay was just 15-months-old when he was run over by drunk driver, Katie Gutierrez-Perez, in front of his mum, grandmother and younger brother outside Selwyn Primary School in Cavendish Road, Highams Park, on September 18 last year.
His parents, Tina and Roger Woods, both 32, told the Guardian they had to make the tough decision to choose which of their three traumatised children, Dillon, six, Harvey, five, and Livvy, eight, should benefit form counselling first because places are limited on the NHS.
At their home in Winchester Road, Highams Park, Mrs Woods said: “It was really hard to choose because they all needed it months ago. It is frustrating because she (Gutierrez-Perez) has probably had counselling in prison but we are still waiting.
“They are only children, but have had to deal with mortality and morality at a very young age. Harvey, who witnessed it, sometimes asks when he leaves the house, will I be back today?”
Mrs Wood said that the events of last September are very vivid and she still suffers from flashbacks.
She said: “It feels like it was yesterday. You learn to live with it, but you never get over it and every day is hard. It makes me sick to my stomach when I hear cars going fast and Harvey sticks his hands over his eyes and gets panicky.
“It is still difficult every day to visit the scene where he died. Some people ask us why we stayed at the school, but we do everything for our kids and to keep some kind of normality for them. They are happy there and the school has been fantastic all through this.”
The couple say that new addition to the family, eight-week-old baby Rafferty, has brought the family immense joy.
They have been comforted by support from the community and the knowledge that everyone remembers Fin'.
“You can never forget Fin,” she said. “He was an incredibly a happy baby and would smile at everyone. The poor little soul.”
Katie Gutierrez-Perez, of Selwyn Avenue, had taken sleeping pills, and drank wine and cider before getting behind the wheel of her 4x4.
She was jailed for seven years for causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance, but is allowed out regularly on weekend release - despite the Woods contesting it.
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