No parent should have to say “goodbye” to their baby before they get the opportunity to say “hello.”
On Sunday May 20 at 12pm, The Miscarriage Association of Ireland will be hosting its second annual Remembrance Walk to honour and celebrate the lives of babies that have been lost through miscarriage. Registration for the walk is from 11am outside the Claddagh Hall, Galway. The entry fee is €10 or €15 for a family.
Last year, more than 160 people participated in the first walk of this kind which remembered babies who were lost through miscarriage. Grieving families and supportive friends and neighbours all joined together to honour the lives of babies that were in the world for a very short time.
The walk was a beautiful, special occassion full of all sorts of families who cried, smiled and most importantly celebrated their baby’s short little life.
Like last year, the aim of this walk is to provide an opportunity for families affected by miscarriage to openly share, celebrate and honour their babies that left them too soon. Losing a baby through miscarriage can be a lonely and isolating experience, as most miscarriages occur in the first trimester.
Women may not yet have told anyone outside their family about their loss. This means they often feel they do not have the right to grieve. This walk allows grieving families the time, place and space to honour their babies, to say to the outside world that their baby was here, even if it was only for a short time, and is forever loved.
The walk also provides an opportunity for the people of County Galway to let bereaved families know that they are not alone, and to build awareness in the community about miscarriage. Miscarriage occurs as frequently as 50 times a day in Ireland, affecting approximately 18,000 women and their families annually.
Miscarriage is such a heartbreaking loss. It can be an uncomfortable topic for people to talk about. Family, friends and neighbours often do not know what to say to grieving parents. This means that heartbroken families may grieve in silence. The important thing to know is that parents want to talk openly about their loss. The walk invites people who may not know what to say to grieving families but wish to support them while are dealing with this very common loss.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Miscarriage Association of Ireland. The Association is a registered charity run by a committee of volunteers to provide support and information to women and their families who have lost a baby through miscarriage. The Association is 30 years old and the need for support and information is still as much required today as it was at its inception. Last years walk raised in excess of e1300 which went towards providing their vital support services.
This event is open to everyone - families that have had personal experience of miscarriage, friends and extended family members This year they will be joined by the wonderful RISE Gospel Choir who will be singing some beautiful songs to get the walk started, they will make the event even more special.
For more information on this event and the services the Miscarriage Association of Ireland provides, please visit the website www.miscarriage.ie or visit Facebook www.facebook.com/miscarriagesupportgalway
