A mother has shared her story of coping with grief following the death of her daughter.

In doing so, Jobie Di Massa hopes to help other bereaved parents.

Former barmaid Lia Lou died in a car accident in Italy in August last year.

The 20-year-old had been spending the summer working in an ice cream parlour.

The car crashed as she returned to the resort of Sorrento, where she had been staying with her grandfather.

Jobie, of Albany Road, Chatham, has spent the last six months coming to terms with her loss and now wants to share her experiences.

She said: "I'm so proud of her life, I haven't got any regrets, she packed everything in.

"I just feel my grieving is through her, she is my strength.

"I don't feel down, I don't cry much, I am quite positive and that's what I want to get across; you can get out of bed, you can look at her picture."

Jobie, who is also mum to Luca, 18, and Alex, 12, has adopted the sunflower as a symbol of remembrance for Lia Lou, whose birthday was also Remembrance Day.

She added: "We are not frightened to talk about her, we laugh about her.

"We are not frightened to mention Lia because we want her to be our strengths."

Lia Lou had attended the Bishop of Rochester Academy, now the Victory Academy, and wanted to become an air hostess, making use of her fluent Italian skills.

She had lived in Italy, where Jobie met Lia Lou's father, for the first 12 years of her life.

She was buried there following a Catholic funeral but her friends were able to attend a party at the Kings Head in Rochester High Street, where she had worked as a barmaid.

Jobie is urging other parents, and those who know parents who have lost children, to confront their grief.

She said: "I really want to reach out to other parents, there's not much out there and I find when a child dies, people don't really want to come up to you.

"You shouldn't close off people who have lost children you should celebrate what they did, who they were, and what they meant to other kids."

As part of her grieving process, Jobie penned a letter to her daughter.

It reads: "This little blonde girl at the beach with people looking at you in amazement.

"One time you would be playing and speaking English with the tourists' children, the next playing and speaking Italian.

"I was proud and my smile would reach the sun.

"I will not grieve in darkness for you, I won’t stay in sadness long for you, I will not become a zombie.

"Of course, I’ll miss you, you're my brown-eyed, blonde girl, but, Looby Loo I will live our lives for you.

"I will smile for you and every step we take, you know for a fact they're yours."

Read more: All the latest news from Medway