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Pictured at the launch of the Anam Cara Information Pack were; Sheila Ryane Killarney, guest speaker; Gillian Tobin, Tralee guest speaker and Michael Healy Rae TD. Photo by Domnick Walsh www.dwalshphoto.ie
A NEW information pack for bereaved parents was launched yesterday in the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, by Anam Cara – the national organisation that supports bereaved parents.
It launched the new resource aimed at supporting bereaved parents in the early days after the death of their son or daughter. Over 30 local organisations were at the launch and received copies of the new pack, which contains eight booklets on different themes related to parental grief, such as A Dad’s Grief, A Mother’s Grief, Coping with the Sudden Death of My Child and Supporting My Family.
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Also available was a new booklet published just this week written by and for parents with no surviving children.The local groups represented included An Garda Síochána, the HSE, Southern Health Board, Kerry General Hospital and Kerry Mental Health Service. Rainbows, SHEP, Pieta, Kerry Travellers Health & Community Development Project and various representatives from family resource centres and the Kerry Diocese also attended.
Founded in 2008, Anam Cara Kerry meets on the second Tuesday of every month in the Recovery Haven in Tralee, with the simple model of giving bereaved parents a safe and comfortable setting where they can meet other bereaved parents.
Anam Cara is open to all bereaved parents, regardless of the age or circumstances of their child’s death, or whether the death was recent or not.
Launching the resource pack, Anam Cara CEO Sharon Vard said: “It is so important to ensure that any parent who is suffering the terrible and unimaginable ordeal of losing a child knows that Anam Cara is here to help. Our packs are a powerful resource for any family experiencing the death of a child, irrespective of whether the child was a baby or a grown adult.
“Newly bereaved parents need others to put this information in to their hands at the earliest stage of their bereavement journey. They are very fragile in the first few months and may not have the energy to pick up the phone or actively look for help.”
Anam Cara is urging all frontline professionals who come into contact with newly bereaved parents to get in touch with them to request a delivery of free information packs. In this way they will always have the information on hand to give to newly bereaved parents when they need it most.
Bereaved parents or their friends or family are also encouraged to get in touch to request a pack. This can be done by emailing info@anamcara.ie or calling Anam Cara’s Information Line on 085 2888 888.
Anam Cara is a voluntary support organisation set up by bereaved parents to support bereaved parents throughout Ireland. For more information on its services please visit www.anamcara.ie or call its information line 085 2888 888. Donations of €2 can be made by texting REMEMBER to 50300. For larger donations please visit http://anamcara.ie/donate/
