Sponsored By Natalie, Maisie & Cora, in memory of Otis – a beautiful son, a beautiful brother
Emily Long:
“Emily is the author of several books related to grief and the loss of a baby. Her book, You Are Not Alone: Love Letters from Loss Mom to Loss Mom was a beacon of light during a very dark time in my life. Her collection of letters from mothers who knew the unthinkable pain of losing a child saved me. My participation in her writing group showed me that words have POWER to heal”
Hannah Pontillo:
“Hannah’s precious son (with one of the coolest names ever), Dexy, was stillborn. Since his passing she has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the raw brutality of losing a child: navigating life afterwards. The blog posts she writes are no holds barred and absolutely testament to the love she has for her son: everything he was, everything he is, and everything he would have become.”
Heidi Loughlin:
“Her blog is passionately written, shining with life and love. It’s funny – and I never would have expected a blog which combines babyloss and terminal cancer to be able to have humour. I know everyone says that babyloss is unimaginable unless you have been through it, but I truly do find it hard to put myself into Heidi’s shoes. Heidi lives with cancer – and she really does live. I guess the inspiration and motivation to live every minute is at least in part due to her baby’s influence, the lessons her baby left behind.”
Nicola Gaskin:
“Nicola is a very special lady, kind emphatic and compassionate. It has been a privilege to learn of Nicola’s blog, her candid way of expressing love from the preservative of grief, in a way that not only hurts the heart but warms it. Winter Wolfe’s legacy is one of beauty, expression of a life long journey of both being lost and found because of love.”
Nicola McGowan:
“Myself and my wife have had 5 miscarriages and at times we have both understandably really struggled. She has always had a love for writing, and when we lost our first baby together on honeymoon – she took to writing again in order to help her cope. She blogs her bad days, her good days, her angry days and her sad days. She reminds women everywhere that it’s okay to feel a range of emotions. I love that even after all she has endured – she is still thinking of others.”
Rachel Lewis
“Rachel pours her heart into both her blog and her Facebook support group, reaching and providing support for hundreds of women. I know, personally, the many lives she has touched and helped through Brave Mamas on Facebook. Mine is included. I never felt truly accepted and comfortable in a Facebook support group until Brave Mamas. I am eternally grateful for the group and her.”
Rachel Whalen:
“Rachel continues to find words when I don’t have any. She makes images that are easy to share so that I can tell me friends and family how I’m feeling with the click of a button. Her images never fail to make me nod in agreement or bring a tear to my eye. Most recently she wrote a beautiful piece which put into words exactly how I felt – that having the world talk about a little girl that passed decades ago gives me hope that my girl will be talked about and remembered when I pass.”
Vicki Dingwall:
“My wife, Vicki, found a lot of comfort in reading other peoples stories and understanding their feelings through baby loss communities on Facebook – but found that it was hard to articulate these thoughts and feelings to our own families and friends. Initially Vicki found that writing the blog helped to make sense of all the emotions that come along with losing a baby. What happened next was unexpected – messages of support and understanding from our friends and family started to become more informed and heartfelt. People started to understand that not only was it OK to talk about what happened with us, but that we actually wanted to talk about Thomas.”