By Katie Ascough - 01 November, 2019
The Miscarriage Association of Ireland: the falling leaf represents the missing family member – the lost baby.
The Miscarriage Association of Ireland (MAI) Annual Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 10 November at 3.00 p.m. in St Teresa’s Church, Donore Avenue, off South Circular Road, Dublin 8.
According to the MAI website, the service is a special occasion for all who have lost babies and gives loved ones the opportunity to share their experience with others who have also suffered the loss of a child.
“It is a time to remember and if possible come to terms with our own personal loss. It is also a time to recognise that for a time, however short, we had the privilege of sharing a relationship with our child. This little life had a meaning and it is necessary for us to give attention to this existence. We may not always understand the ‘why’ but for those of us who have been able to move on, I believe that our lives have been enriched by this painful but hugely significant time of our life,” the MAI website states.
According to Irishhealth.com, approximately 14,000 women miscarry spontaneously every year in Ireland and approximately 15 per cent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Everyone who has experienced a miscarriage or is close to someone who has miscarried knows it can be a traumatic experience, often accompanied by physical pain and heartache.
Through dissemination of useful information, public awareness, and support services, the MAI is doing significant work to help women and their families cope with and heal from tragic losses.
The MAI was founded in 1988 by Hilary Frazer, a woman who noticed a lack of resources after her own miscarriage. Through a paper advertisement, Hilary was connected with Stephanie Blandford and together they started the Miscarriage Association of Ireland. Originally, meetings were hosted in Hilary’s sitting room and she managed the telephone support helpline herself.
Today, the Miscarriage Association of Ireland holds monthly support meetings in Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 on the first Thursday of every month and the telephone support line is operated by a team of volunteers.
The Miscarriage Association of Ireland offers a warm welcome to all on Sunday 10 November to their Annual Service of Remembrance. Refreshments and an opportunity to chat with attendees will take place afterwards and there will be a Book of Remembrance if anyone wishes to make an entry.
For more information phone (01) 873 5702, email info@miscarriage.ie, or click here.
