Monthly meeting of Anam Cara

THE next monthly meeting of the Wicklow branch of Anam Cara will take place on Monday, November 19, in the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy.

The event, which is being supported by Dublin Bus, will get underway at 7.20 p.m.

Anam Cara supports bereaved parents and the meetings offer people a safe and comfortable forum where they can connect with other bereaved parents.

A significant aspect of the meetings is the fact that those involved understand the depth of each other’s grief and loss.

A parent who attended a recent meeting of the organisation highlighted the benefits she got from going along. ‘What I heard was so familiar to me,’ she said.

‘I felt less alone and more understood.’

The Anam Cara Chief Executive Officer, Sharon Vard, highlighted that the upcoming meeting is open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age of the deceased child or children, the circumstances of their death, or whether their passing was recent or not.

For parents who are hesitant or unsure about attending Ms Vard said they should have a look at www.anamcara.ie where they can view testimonies from other parents.

‘ There, in their own time, parents can watch our short videos with testimonies from bereaved parents and couples who have attended Anam Cara events,’ said Ms Vard.

‘ The videos, which are just four minutes each, show parents being interviewed on topics like a dad’s grief, sudden and traumatic death, and the grieving family,’ she added.

Anam Cara services are offered free-of-charge and one of the fathers who attends the group urged bereaved parents to give it a try: ‘ There is no pressure to talk yet you feel supported by the other parents who know how desperately hard it is after your child has died. Like so many bereaved parents Anam Cara has been my lifeline.’