Mum’s pain at council’s snub to lost babies

Calls for City Hall lights tribute

A MUM says she is appalled by an apparent lack of compassion after her request to have City Hall lit up in honour of lost babies was rejected.

Laura Kelly, 30, applied for the gesture to be agreed for Sunday to mark the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

But a response from Belfast City Council revealed her request “did not meet any of the criteria” used to agree the illumination although they supported St Valentine’s Day and the Giro d’italia bike race.

Laura, who lost son Cormac in May aged just seven days, said: “I’m appalled. City Hall would rather mark a bike ride than honour the babies lost to one in four women. We had tried to have a baby for two years before Cormac arrived and it’s hard enough to talk about the worst thing to happen in our lives.

“But if we don’t talk about our children, if we ignore the very fact they were here and a part of us and a part of this world, then the taboo about child loss continues – and I just won’t be a part of that. “Belfast City Council and the decision makers should be ashamed. The email I received from them was without care or compassion. It was excruciating.”

Another grieving mum, who also wanted the illuminations, claimed last night: “They seem to have agreed to light the City Hall pink and blue ‘from dusk to dawn’ on Sunday, International Baby Loss Awareness Day. I received word today.”

There was no official statement from the council last night.

MUCH LOVED Cormac was born premature at 23 weeks POIGNANT Laura with Cormac who died after seven days APPALLED Laura Kelly