A Central West not-for-profit supporting families who have lost their child during pregnancy or in infancy has received a boost from the Greater Central West Community Funding Program.
Established earlier this year, Orange-based Central West Pregnancy and Infant Loss (CWPAIL) aims to provide individualised bereavement care for parents and extended families who have experienced this devastating loss.
Brought together through a passion to help others and their own experiences with infertility, pregnancy or infant loss, the committee has already been inundated with support from all over the country.
“Pregnancy and infant loss is extremely isolating, so we want to be able to welcome other families into the bereaved community and walk alongside them on this lifechanging journey,” CWPAIL Chairperson Lilly Castor said.
“Bereaved parents have contacted us wanting to share their stories and other established organisations have offered their support.
“What it has emphasised to us is that pregnancy and infant loss not only affects parents; on their family and community it can have an enormous social, psychological and economic impact.”
CWPAIL’s success in the November Central West Greater Community Funding Program round will enable the organisation to commence face-to-face support groups, as they aim to expand their service through a liaison program and distributing support packs to local hospitals.
CWPAIL’s Grant and Business Correspondent Megan Hamlin knows well the heartache of pregnancy loss.
Over three years, seven IVF cycles and 150 needles, she lost more than 10 fertilised embryos on her journey to have two children.
“Loss is loss, in any form,” Ms Hamlin said.
“I think we became numb to the science of it all and didn’t really let ourselves grieve the loss that came with it.
“All the embryos that we had lost in the past could have been babies but they didn’t make it.
“Every failed cycle, every failed transfer, a biochemical loss; all could have results in a positive pregnancy but didn’t, and that’s hard to push through sometimes.”
Greater Bank Regional Sales Manager Greg Creagan said the service CWPAIL will provide is much needed in the community.
“Pregnancy and infant loss is something that is not often spoken about, so it can be hard to know where to turn for support when it happens to you or someone you love,” Mr Creagan said.
“Everyone’s journey through grief is different, so the establishment of personalised and varied support options by CWPAIL is extremely important.
“The support CWPAIL has already received demonstrates just how needed their service is, so we know this funding will be put to extremely good use.”
More information about CWPAIL can be obtained through their Facebook page ‘Central West Pregnancy & Infant Loss’.
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