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butterfly via Shutterstock

Butterflies to be released in remembrance service for those affected by the death of a baby

The service is being held in Dublin this afternoon.

A REMEMBRANCE SERVICE will be held in Dublin this afternoon for anybody who has been affected by the death of a baby.

It’s being held by Féileacáin- a not for profit organisation that offers support to anyone affected by the death of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after.

The primary focus of the charity is to support those bereaved from a stillbirth or neonatal death.

It was set up by a group of friends who found it very hard to get support after losing their own babies.

Marie Cregan is one of those women, she told TheJournal.ie, “When your baby dies very early, a lot of the time you’re the only one who knew it.”

The charity offers support meetings and a support helpline and provides memory boxes through hospitals.

The box contains items to help a family losing a baby; such as an information leaflet, a hand knitted blanket, a kit to take the baby’s hand and footprints and two teddies.

Cregan said, “A lot of the time parents will keep one teddy and have the other one with their baby and just before the burial swap them over so they have the teddy the baby kept close.

I recently met a man who took a really tattered teddy out of his pocket, he said to me that he always keeps it with him and it’s in his pocket everywhere he goes.

Five hundred boxes were given out last year.

She added, “the box advises parents to take a lock of hair, simple things that they might not think of at the time but that later become the most precious possession.”

The remembrance service is open to anybody affected, and people can just turn up.

Over 200 butterflies will be released in the friary gardens nearby, and the Dublin Gospel Choir will be performing.

It’s on at St Mary of the Angels Church, Church St. Dublin 7 at 3pm today.

Read: Study highlights lack of training for doctors in supporting parents after stillbirth>

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18 Comments
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    Mute Bernie Richards
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:19 AM

    Remembering my little angel today . Thanks to feilecain without them life would have been very difficult . Keep up the great work .

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    Mute Sinead Bird
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:30 AM

    Im looking forward to this service today. It’ll be a good way to remember my daughter.

    Hippocrateeth you obviously dont have an idea what a grieving parent goes through, Sadly I do. Two years ago today I held my daughter in my arms as she took her last breath at ten days old. Some parents dont even get a chance to see their child take their first breath as they die before birth. Then you have to deal with people, friends even turning the other way because they dont know what to say. Not talking about or acknowledging your baby because its so hard to talk about. Then along comes an organisation like Feileacain, who are there for you, who support you, who listen and recognise your pain. Today is about remembering and hope, the butterfly is the symbol of Feileacain, a lot of bereaved parents feel an affinity with butterflies. Today is about standing up and saying, Yes I had my son or daughter and they died, its about recognition. Your comment was not only insensitive but also ignorant, Im hoping nobody close to you has or will go through the loss of a child as your attitude would no doubt make things worse for them. You shouldnt comment on things you have no idea of.

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    Mute Nicola Edwards
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    Jul 12th 2014, 12:51 PM

    Well said Sinead. I think Hippocrateeth is just a troll. Heartless people who get a kick out of starting arguments and saying things that they know will upset people enough, that they will engage with them.

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    Mute Ann Mc Kennedy
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    Jul 12th 2014, 1:09 PM

    Fair play Sinead, my friend’s daughters 3rd anniversary is tmoro and the heartache they went through was unbearable, with the help of Feileacain it helped them during the darkest of times. It’s indescribable how difficult it is to go through that pain. Thinking of all parents who have been through it x

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    Mute Michelle Mc Loughney
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    Jul 12th 2014, 10:52 AM

    I hope this service gives moms and dads who have lost a baby/babies a bit of recognition for what they have, and are still suffering.

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    Mute Kristin Wall
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:20 AM

    Ya don’t have much to be doing on a Saturday.. Your very lucky you don’t have to attend one of these masses… I hope you never have to…

    54
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    Mute Hippocrateeth
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:02 AM

    Completely stupid idea.

    How is trapping a butterfly and then letting it go going to make the blindest bit of difference to having lost a child?

    Not to be insensitive but it’s complete bullshit.

    28
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    Mute Kristin Wall
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:06 AM

    And who are you to tell people how to grieve, if it gives parents some comfort that’s all that matters.

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    Mute Mark O Brien
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    Jul 12th 2014, 12:42 PM

    Keep your opinions to your self ar**hole.

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    Mute Paula Heeney Brennan
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    Jul 12th 2014, 2:43 PM

    How about u release yourself onto the M50, preferably when it’s rush hour…..

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 12th 2014, 3:25 PM

    I think it’s a beautiful idea because the butterfly has often been a symbol of pre-life ,life and after-life .Plus it’s a reason for solidarity which is one of the human habits/strengths for combatting grief !
    With regard the otter ; in Ancient Iron Age times it is though that our rivers and the life therein was revered by our ancestors and were thus thought to be protected ; like a cow is sacred to the hindus ,

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    Mute MarkS
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    Jul 12th 2014, 4:48 PM

    You are a lowlife !

    11
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    Mute Shane Terry
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:51 PM

    Arse

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    Mute Shane Terry
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    Jul 12th 2014, 11:52 PM

    Although I hate violence in your case I would make an exception. You are the lowest of the low worthless sack of s h 1 t hiding behind your veil of secrecy. You have no idea the pain suffering that the death of a child brings. Preying on the feeling of others is schoolboy bully territory unless of course you were the poor unfortunate who sullied his pants in school and has been trying to exact revenge on vulnerable people to make you feel better. Well I have news people are still laughing at you.

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    Mute margaret donohoe
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    Jul 12th 2014, 3:58 PM

    Such a lovely idea with the butterfly. I have a corner area in my garden in memory of my little baby born an angel who would be 15 years old this year. And remember mams and dads we may feel all alone sometimes but if we feel like this well then we are all in this together . X

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    Mute Sam Rhodes
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    Jul 12th 2014, 2:38 PM

    I don’t think anyone has an issue with the service or organisation, it’s the capture and release of butterflies in the middle of the city centre they’re concerned with. If they’re native it’s the wrong habitat, if they’re non native they won’t survive. I hope the organisation in question put some thought into this. Personally I find the use of living creatures for ceremonial purposes unsettling.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 12th 2014, 4:52 PM

    “Little fluffy clouds ” … the orb

    5
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    Mute Claire Brennan
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    Sep 12th 2014, 10:38 AM

    Such an amazing charity. Feeling so blessed to have come across such a compassionate organisation. On this journey of hell. Being able to kiss my daughters hand and hold her is one memory I can’t put in her treasured memory box. This memory just like our sadness can’t be locked away and stored in a box to gather dust. Let your little butterfly flutter its wings and fly and remember we must do the same to have the energy to cherish your expirence. X ever step faith we took together x for this I feel blessed.

    4
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