False 25 years on… It has been an incredible journey for this charity and in a very short period of time. This very young charity ( by comparison to some charities) has achieved a considerable amount. This commemorative edition of the ISANDS Newsletter will give you some insight into that journey. We feature some poems and stories from earlier editions back to some of the original ones. You can also see by the small images of Newsletter covers that they have changed considerably over the years too. In fact that was my fi rst job when I got involved with ISANDS; I would help to photocopy and staple the pages of the newsletter together which were laid out on a large table in Carmichael House. Then I got involved in the design and printing of the newsletter. I remember I used to draw little images and sellotape them to the typed pages and go to a local photocopying place to see the fi nished page before showing them to the National Executive for approval. Then computers came along and we learned ( very slowly!) how to add images and so it began in another way that continues to the present day. The newsletter will always remain a very valuable source of support for many parents and families. This organisation began with a group of seven mothers in Dublin. They came together to share their experience and out of that fi rst meeting Parent Support Meetings began, they were a life line at the time and many many parents to this day pay tribute and thanks to them. In those early days few Dads went along and if they did go along to support their wife or partner, they rarely said very much. Now it is completely different, Parent Support Meetings are attended almost in equal numbers by Mums and Dads. Dads are now sharing their account of their son or daughter’s short life and interacting with other Dads and Mums who attend. In recent years we also have a few of Dads who have trained and become part of the Support Team and we hope this will encourage other Dads to come forward for training. Everything within the organisation has developed, literature is constantly updated to take on board the changes in practices that refl ect the needs of bereaved parents and families in the multi- cultural society we live in. A Little Lifetime - the charities publication for parents and families which helps us to navigate our way through the storm of shock, pain and loss, has just been revised with valuable new content and given a new look to include, a new colour scheme, the new ISANDS logo and images which help to soften the overall look of the book. A Little Lifetime is also currently been translated into Polish and French and will be available to download from the website before the summer for those who need it. Our working relationship with Professionals and interested others within the Health Service and Community was copper- fastened this year with the publication of the ISANDS Guidelines for Professionals. It is the result of 12 years work and we proudly say it is a remarkable piece of work. It is a tribute to all the Professionals who contributed their advice, experience and insightful compassion into this delicate and fragile time in the life of bereaved families. Our thanks to all the Professionals who have travelled with us through our 25 year journey and we hope that relationships with our charity will continue to grow. It is the way forward, by working ‘ together’ we can make a difference both to bereaved families but also for those who work in this area of loss. Our Services of Remembrances have also seen changes, originally called Memorial Services which were often part of a Mass has grown into a place of prayer, refl ection and music in a unique and special way. Not only organised by ISANDS but now ISANDS are invited each year to take part in local community based Services of Remembrance. It is wonderful to see this happen as it gives parents and families the opportunity to remember their baby in their own community. We continue to fi nd new ways to offer support to Long Ago Bereaved Parents ( something close to my own heart) as well as newly bereaved parents. Long Ago Bereaved Parents were cheated of their grief for many years and have carried their grief and pain in silence for too long. The completion and restoration of the Old Angels Memory Garden in Glasnevin, where over 50,000 babies are buried was just one ( but probably the biggest) project to acknowledge the grief of thousands of parents. Everyday, another parent whose baby died long ago makes contact with ISANDS and everyday we are looking for ways to support their needs and acknowledge their grief. We have still a long way to go to meet the needs of thousands of long ago bereaved parents and families. A lot of work has still to be done around the country to recognise their children’s resting places, often forgotten and neglected areas of cemeteries and burial grounds, and we will!!. isands newsletter 2

False Blessing of Remembrance Glasnevin Cemetery Our Annual Blessing of Remembrance will take place in Glasnevin Cemetery on Sunday 25th May at 3pm. Once a year we come together to remember thousands of our children who are buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. We invite parents, families and friends to join us in this sad but special place as we mark their short lives. We also invite parents and families whose baby is buried in other cemeteries or for families who don’t have a grave to visit. Please take the opportunity to join us as together we share their memory, acknowledge that they came and went and that we will continue to remember them on our journey through life. For 25 years, family and friends has encouraged and supported us while we busily volunteered our way through providing support services and running a business. There were good people who also helped us along the way and they include two Presidents of Ireland, States Men and Women, Heads and Representatives of many Churches, Political Representatives, Professionals within the Health Care Service and others in the Community. Thank you for helping 25 years of growth. We must also recognise the State, Corporate Groups and Businesses both National and Local who supported our charity with funding. A vital role you played in our development and have given us the opportunity and choices about our future and the services we provide. Thank you for seeing us worthy of your support. Up to ten years ago the charity existed solely on the money raised by mothers who participated in the Women’s Mini Marathon and the support of their friends and family who sponsored them. You and you alone kept this organisation ticking over for years! Well done and you should be proud that you played a vital role at the time and still do. There were often times we had to go cap in hand to source something that would help us provide services for parents and families and our thanks to those who helped out knowing our circumstances. You know who you are and what you did for us ... our thanks ... my thanks. We have achieved a great deal in 25 years and we will continue to make a difference. The mothers who founded this organisation had foresight, they gave us the opportunity to be parents to our children and we have and will continue that journey. I have been part of 15 years of ISANDS services and there’s a few left in me yet !! with a few projects to complete and as we set off into the next 25 years remember even though our children are not here with us their short lives can make a difference and infl uence much that is good in all of us. Ron Smith- Murphy National Chairperson, ISANDS isands newsletter 3