Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, has given his support to all those affected by pregnancy and baby loss, during this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs until 15 October.
Now in its 19th year, Baby Loss Awareness Week is an alliance of more than one hundred charities and organisations, aiming to raise awareness of the key issues around pregnancy and baby loss in the UK.
Throughout the week, bereaved parents, their families and friends unite to commemorate the lives of babies who died during pregnancy, at or soon after birth and in infancy.
The week is also a platform to call for tangible improvements in policy, research, bereavement care and support.
Sharing his own personal experience of pregnancy loss, Mayor McCaughey said:
“With my wife Gillian and I having experienced first-hand that loss during pregnancy, I am only too aware of the feelings of pain, loss and anguish that parents experience as they attempt to deal with their unexpected and often sudden bereavement.
“Losing a baby at any stage of pregnancy or infancy affects parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family and friends, so it is essential that there is timely and professional support available to those who need it.
“The theme of the Baby Loss Awareness Week campaign this year is wellbeing, something which is important in all areas of life, but particularly during those occasions when we are experiencing pain and loss.
“Anyone who would like to find out how to access support or connect with others who have suffered baby or pregnancy loss, can visit the website www.babyloss-awareness.org for details.”