An event to honour and celebrate the lives of babies who were lost through miscarriage will take place this Sunday May 28.
The remembrance walk/run, which is being organised by the Miscarriage Association of Ireland, will take place at 12pm from the Claddagh Hall.
The aim of the walk is to give families affected by miscarriage a chance to openly share, celebrate and honour their babies who left them too soon. It is also an opportunity for Galway people to let bereaved families know that they are not alone and to heighten awareness in the community about miscarriage.
Miscarriage occurs as frequently as 50 times a day in Ireland, affecting about 18,000 women and their families annually.
Many women describe miscarriage as a hidden grief, according to a spokesperson for the association. “They do not feel that society gives them the ‘right’ or space to talk openly about the loss of their baby. Too many families grieve in silence, sometimes never coming to terms with their loss.
“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.”
However, in the last few years, more and more women and men feel that they can share their story, especially through social media, she says.
“By openly acknowledging their baby and sharing their own personal experience of loss, they are helping to support others in similar situations.
“The goal of this walk is not only to remember the babies that have gone too soon, but to also take away some of the loneliness and isolation bereaved families feel by openly supporting them without judgment.”
Registration for the walk/run is from 11am outside the Claddagh Hall. The entry fee is €10 or €15 for a family. The proceeds from the event will go to the Miscarriage Association of Ireland. A registered charity run by volunteers, it provide support and information to women and their families who have lost a baby through miscarriage. The association is 28 years old and says that the need for support and information is still as important today as it was at its inception.
The fundraiser is open to everyone - families who have had personal experience of miscarriage, friends and extended family members who want to support their bereaved loved ones, and any others who want to show their support.
For more information on this event and the services the Miscarriage Association of Ireland provides, log on to www.miscarriage.ie or visit Facebook www.facebook.com/miscarriagesupportgalway
