Anam Cara, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, will be holding their next meeting in January 2017.

The monthly meeting will take place on Thursday 12th of January from 19:30 to 21:00 in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny.

The meeting offers parents a safe and comfortable setting where they can connect with other bereaved parents who will understand the depth of their loss and grief.

A bereaved mother speaking about the benefits of Anam Cara meetings said: “Nothing is normal after the death of a child and it never will be again. Anam Cara helps. People may say that after, for example, two years you should just be able to pull up your socks and get on with it, but life is not like that when you lose a child.

“There is no timeline for getting over grief, it’s a continuous, daily thing. I would encourage any bereaved parents to come along. I know that anything that is unknown is often really scary, however, it’s important people know there is no pressure or onus on anyone to talk at the meetings, just being there can help.”

Anam Cara CEO Sharon Vard stressed that this event is open to all bereaved parents “regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death or whether the death was recent or not.”

Anam Cara have also produced an Information Pack for bereaved parents containing seven booklets on topics such as A Dad’s Grief, Coping with Sudden Death and Supporting My Family. Likewise, a series of short videos with testimonies from bereaved parents who attend the Anam Cara groups can be viewed at anamcara.ie/videos.

For more information or to order a free copy of the Information Pack, you can email info@anamcara.ie or ring their Information Line on 085 2888 888.