Grief at losing a child is '˜a continuous, daily thing'

A bereaved mother is encouraging Derry parents who have lost a child to come along to a support group meeting in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny this Thursday.

Anam Cara, is hosting the meeting from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

One member said the grief from losing a child is “a continuous, daily thing” but meeting up and talking about it if you want to, can help.

“Nothing is normal after the death of a child and it never will be again. Anam Cara helps,” she said.

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“People may say that after, for example, two years you should just be able to pull up your socks and get on with it, but life is not like that when you lose a child,” she added.

“There is no timeline for getting over grief, it’s a continuous, daily thing. I would encourage any bereaved parents to come along.

“I know that anything that is unknown is often really scary, however, it’s important people know there is no pressure or onus on anyone to talk at the meetings, just being there can help,” she added.

Anam Cara CEO Sharon Vard stressed that the event is open to all bereaved parents “regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death or whether the death was recent or not”.

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Anam Cara have also produced an Information Pack for bereaved parents containing seven booklets on topics such as A Dad’s Grief, Coping with Sudden Death and Supporting My Family.

Likewise, a series of short videos with testimonies from bereaved parents who attend the Anam Cara groups can be viewed at anamcara.ie/videos. For more information or to order a free copy of the Information Pack, you can email [email protected] or ring their Information Line on 085 2888 888.

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