While the Rebecca Jane Foundation are purely a financial support, to help families pay for the funeral of their angel babies, there are many great people out there who will help and/or support families along the difficult and arduous task of grief.
Please don't ever be afraid to reach for help, talking to someone, especially a parent who has taken that journey before you, can often make you realise:
Knowing those things is what helped me learn to live with my loss. So many times I felt like my life was falling apart and it was being able to speak to someone else that made me realise that my grief journey was 'normal', if there is such a thing. How do you share with someone who hasn't had that experience about the dreams/nightmares/emptiness etc, etc, etc and not be concerned that they will (with the best of intentions) suggest you 'need professional help'? Grief is an arduous journey and often spouses can be in a completely different space. It is important though, that you don't 'compare', and think 'they are worse off than me', because each circumstance is different, but what you can do is share the feelings, they are more often than not the same!
I remember seeing a TedTalk and the woman was speaking about 'hard' - she said "hard is hard" and I think that's true when it comes to the loss of a pregnancy/child. No one's loss is harder than the other, they are ALL hard!
So please don't ever hesitate to contact one of the organisations below, most have been started by people who have walked the walk and talked the talk.
With my warmest regards,
We are proud to be partnering with Angel Gowns for Australian Babies Inc. They will give any family who has had an angel baby the beautiful gift of an outfit lovingly made from wedding gowns and formal wear so generously donated by others.
Miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support. 24 hour helpline is 1300 072 637. They also have online live chat and local support groups.
From their website: Our confidential telephone helpline provides a safe place for anyone affected by the death of a baby to talk about their feelings. When you call, you will be put in direct contact with a trained Volunteer Parent Supporter. Our compassionate volunteers understand the grief and confusion you may be experiencing, as they too have had a baby who has died.
24 hour helpline 1300 308 307.
From their website: Supporting you on your journey after the death of a child.
Welcome to Red Nose Grief and Loss (formerly SIDS and Kids). With over 40 years’ experience supporting grieving individuals and families, we understand the sudden or unexpected death of a baby or young child is one of the most difficult experiences any person will face.
Hotline: 1300 11 HOPE.
They have grief workshops, counsellor support, grief wellness groups, private online support groups, Facebook and Twitter - these are available to any bereaved parents and can be accessed by individuals or couples. They also have a comprehensive list of support services for each state under 'other Australian support services'.
Hotline: 1300 064 068.
From their website: The mission of The Compassionate Friends in Australia is to offer and provide friendship and support to bereaved parents and their families following the death of child at any age and from any cause.
Hotline: 13 11 14
Crisis support and suicide prevention agency.
There are more support groups than those that are listed here, many of them are state based, however we hope this list may provide some assistance to you.