Anam Cara, the national organisation that supports bereaved parents, will host an Information Evening on Tuesday 3rd of October in the Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town at 7pm.
The free event is open to all mothers and fathers whose child or children have died, regardless of the age of the child, the circumstances of the death, or whether the death was recent or not.
Anam Cara is a Donegal-based charity which has supported bereaved parents across all four provinces since 2008. They have ten active groups meeting monthly across the country, supporting some 1,800 bereaved parents annually.
A group meets in Letterkenny on the second Thursday of each month, but this is the first time they have held an event in Donegal town.
The Information Evening starts at 7pm and will begin with a talk by Brid Carroll, a professional with Donegal connections and extensive experience of supporting bereaved parents and their families. After the short talk there will be an opportunity to speak to other bereaved parents over a cup of tea or coffee, or to speak to the professional should you have any questions or concerns.
One bereaved mother who attended a recent Anam Cara event said: “Both my husband and I felt it helped us in our grief to be in a place where we felt safe and comfortable to express the way we feel and think. I am good at talking but my husband is deep and I find for him the more interaction we have with other parents like ourselves then he gets the nerve to say something. It might be small but it’s a start.”
Another bereaved parent said: “The Bereavement Information meeting gave me so much to think about around the process of grieving and put a lot of reality rather than text book reality into play for me. This was such a support and I am still grateful for it.”
Sharon Vard, CEO of Anam Cara and herself a bereaved parent, said: “At Anam Cara we know there is no ideal age or circumstances when a precious son or daughter dies. What is important is that parents can access information and support.
“We would encourage bereaved parents of a child of any age – no matter whether the death happened recently or many years ago – to come along to this free event. Here you can find a level of support and understanding that – even with the best will in the world – it can be difficult for family and friends to offer.”
The Bereavement Information Evening will be held from 7-9pm in the Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, on Tuesday 3rd October. Registration will start at 6.45pm.
Anam Cara will need to confirm numbers for this event, so if attending, or if you have any questions, please write to info@anamcara.ie before Monday 2nd October, text 085 2888 888 or call 01 404 5378. This event is funded by Túsla.
