Anam Cara launched its national awareness campaign with their annual Balloon to Remember release. Families from across Ireland gathered in Athlone to release thousands of balloons, each one dedicated to the memory of a son or daughter who has died. Over 50 families came together for the event which brings together families from 32 counties in Ireland for one day to remember the child they’ve lost.
The event also launches Anam Cara’s Month to Remember, which continues until the end of November, and includes awareness building and fundraising; a national bag-pack taking place in Dunnes Stores on Saturday November 30 and the nationwide sale of the Anam Cara Balloon to Remember pin which is available to buy online at www.anamcara.ie Throughout the island of Ireland approximately 2,500 families each year experience the death of a child between the ages of 0 to 44 years. For many families if the death of their child was unexpected, outside a hospital or hospice setting, they can fall outside the realms of bereavement support. Since its 2008 launch, Anam Cara has impacted the lives of more than 5,600 parents by offering a lifeline through online and face-to-face bereavement support services.
