Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108connect 2017 • 47 We wondered what should our answer be when people asked us how many children we had. It was from other parents that we learned it always seemed right to mention and include your child who has passed. We always include Aoife and say we have four children, that one has sadly passed, and this is a comfort to know she continues on as part of our family. We learned from Anam Cara meetings how other par- ents handled the tricky questions of death and burial with younger siblings of a child that has died. This has been a help too. Sometimes by attending meetings it can be a connection just to look into another grieving parents’ eyes and see the sadness, knowing how it is and being able to relate. We were concerned some months after Aoife died whether or not it was ok for us to consider having another child. It was only by attending Anam Cara that we learned other parents had gone on to have another child and that these children were often referred to as ‘rainbow’ babies, born after a terrible storm. We did go on to have another baby after Aoife died, and she is our precious little Amy. Parents worry about whether or not they are mad not to want to change the bedroom of a child that has died. They may not want to discard any clothes or belongings, or even change their car from the one their child used to sit in. These were all things we could relate to and at Anam Cara meetings we learned that this was perfectly normal and many parents held onto items for many years as a comfort. We have also done this. Adrian Hendrick shared with Connect magazine some of the unique challenges grieving parents face and how Anam Cara cares and guides families through that unique journey. The Ireland Funds have provided Anam Cara with funding for peer-services and meetings attended by hundreds of parents across Ireland. “The money is one thing,” says Sharon Vard, CEO of Anam Cara. “But it’s also the knowledge that an organization as important as The Ireland Funds believes in your work. That is the most valuable.”