Anam Cara release podcast series

Anam Cara, the all-Ireland charity which provides information, resources, online and face-to-face support to bereaved parents, has today launched a new seven part parent podcast series, ‘Conversations in Grief’, aimed at supporting parents who are grieving the death of their child.

For this new resource parents, connected to Anam Cara, share their heartfelt and insightful stories of their family’s journey after the death of their son or daughter.

“They tell us how they and their family travelled through the journey of grief and despair, to find that place where they could accommodate their grief and connect to the memory of their child,” Anam Cara said in a statement.

“The podcasts are inclusive, in that they cover all circumstances of death, sudden, traumatic, serious illness and all ages of a child from babies through to adult children.

“Each podcast focuses on a different theme, shared through the stories of parents who have been supported by Anam Cara when their child died.

“The themes include the impact grief has on relationships; sudden loss; the journey through treatment; bereavement from suicide; the death of an only child; and the experience of multiple child losses.

“The series also features the reflections of professional grief counsellor Brid Carroll, offering insights on the many different ways grief impacts parents and the tools parents can look to navigate their journey.”

Sharon Vard, Services Manager with Anam Cara: “Anam Cara’s focus remains on peer support, bereaved parents reaching a hand back to help other parents.

“Who else can really understand the nightmare and despair any mother or father finds themselves in after their child dies, only another parent walking that same road.

“Anam Cara recognises the vulnerability of recently bereaved Mums and Dads, and know not everyone is ready to attend their online or face to face events at the start of their journey.

“That is why we created this Podcast series to make sure these stories of grief and loss are out there, to ensure these heartbroken parents know that they are not alone in what they’re going through”.

Michael McEnery (Mac) Founder of Anam Cara Northern Ireland; “when your child dies, we just don’t grieve their absence in our lives now.

“We also grieve all the future milestones we had dreamed with them. This leaves us feeling powerless and without hope.

“By sharing these powerful and insightful podcasts of survival from parents who have endured this loss, we aim to give recently bereaved mothers and fathers the hope that they can too”.

The Podcast series can be found at www.anamcara.ie and on all major podcast app.

It is part of a range of resources that Anam Cara has developed to support parents, including information packs, video resources and webinars.

Throughout the 32 counties of Ireland, Anam Cara hosts monthly online and face-to-face group meetings for parents and online bereavement information and support evenings.