The local events give bereaved Mothers and Fathers an opportunity to hear from an experienced Bereavement Specialist.

Anam Cara the organisation that supports bereaved parents, will hold a Bereavement Information Evening on Thursday 13th of September from 19:30 to 21:30 in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

The event gives parents an opportunity to hear a professional, experienced in bereavement support, talk about the many challenges families have to face into after the death of their son or daughter.

“Even if you have attended one of these evenings before in our experience you will come away with new information,” a spokesperson said.

A guest speaker experienced in supporting bereaved parents will talk for about forty minutes. Afterwards there’ll be an opportunity to speak/listen to other bereaved parents or to speak to the professional should you have any questions or concerns.

One bereaved mother who attended a recent Anam Cara event said: “Both my husband and I felt it helped us in our grief to be in a place where we felt safe and comfortable to express the way we feel and think.

“I am good at talking but my husband is deep and I find for him the more interaction we have with other parents like ourselves then he gets the nerve to say something. It might be small but it’s a start.”

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 gives bereaved mums and dads a chance to meet and connect with other bereaved parents in a safe and comfortable setting. Here you can find a level of support and understanding that – even with the best will in the world – it can be difficult for family and friends to offer.”

On their website, anamcara.ie, you can view testimonies from bereaved parents and couples who have attended Anam Cara events. There are videos on A Dad’s Grief, Sudden and Traumatic Death, and The Grieving Family.

The Information Evening is a free event. However, Anam Cara will need to confirm numbers. If attending, please RSVP to info@anamcara.ie before Wednesday 12th September or call the Information Line on 085 2888 888.