Candles to remember baby loss

Coatbridge-based organisation Baby Loss Retreat is running a special event on Monday to mark international pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day.

It is taking place at the MacGregor funeral directors premises in the former Coats Church in Coatbridge, and will see parents who have lost babies come together to light candles at exactly 7pm.

The event forms part of the global“wave of light” project taking place at that time, on the final day of baby loss awareness week

Shawhead woman Julie Morrison, who chairs the Coatbridge group, told the Advertiser:“It’s an opportunity for bereaved parents to remember their babies and break the silence of baby loss.”

All parents, grandparents and children are welcome at the service, which begins at 6.45pm and will include a choir performing on the evening.

Julie and husband Bryan tragically lost baby daughter Erin Elizabeth in July 2003, when she was stillborn at 37 weeks. They set up Baby Loss Retreat in August 2017 to help those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death.

They have so far run fundraisers, including a football match, car boot sale and Ben Nevis climb to help towards their goal of providing tranquil breaks for recentlybereaved families; and also set up a support group in Coatbridge.

Bryan told the Advertiser earlier this year:“We were able to go away after Erin’s funeral which gave us time to talk, and we want to give other people that option of getting away somewhere peaceful for a couple of days.

“At the moment we’re looking at lodges and places where people can go, near lochs and relaxing surroundings, but our aim is to have a retreat of our own. At the moment we’re building up funds and looking at lottery money.”

For more details, see www.babylossretreat. org.uk, find the group on Facebook or follow @ babyloss1980 on Twitter.