Anam Cara launched a new initiative entitled ‘A Balloon to Remember’ in memory of the many children that have lost their lives throughout Ireland. The campaign aims to create awareness of the unique support that Anam Cara offers bereaved parents and to raise funds to extend these services to as many bereaved families as possible nationwide.

Launched in early 2008, Anam Cara is a national voluntary support group set up by parents who have themselves lost a child. Their aim is to provide support and understanding to families who have experienced the death of a son or daughter, regardless of their age or the circumstances of their death.

The idea of ‘A Balloon to Remember’ is to offer extended family, friends, colleagues and the wider community a chance to show, in their own private way, that they too remember and are thinking of the bereaved parents on the 2nd November “All Souls” traditionally a day on which we remember all our loved ones who have died.

Sharon Vard, CEO of Anam Cara commented “Every year in Ireland approximately 1,950 families lose a son or daughter”.

In the very short time since Anam Cara began, over 600 parents have been connected to the service in many different ways including its website with message forum, parent-to-parent meetings, family events and professional talks all provided to bereaved parents and families free of charge.

Grainne Quinn, also a founder of Anam Cara added, “Like all people, bereaved parents have varied needs and take support in different ways. For some there is great comfort in meeting face-to-face with other parents. Others prefer the 24-hour availability and the privacy of the website and message forum. Either way we can identify with others dealing with their own loss and know that we are not alone.”

If you have not experienced the death of a child, it can be hard to imagine the pain, loneliness and despair that comes with such a loss. By bringing together bereaved families to support and comfort each other Anam Cara plays a valuable role in helping these families carry on after the death of their child, and in time, for the family to live life around the loss.

You will be able to sponsor ‘A Balloon to Remember’ on line at www.anamcara.ie. This national campaign has been kindly supported by Bord Gais Energy, Centra supermarkets, McCabes Pharmacies, Eddie Rockets Diners and Crown Paints, and will run from the 1st October 2009 through to 2nd November 2009. On the 2nd November Anam Cara will launch these balloons sponsored for a loved one at Lloyd Park in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

For more information on Anam Cara go to www.anamcara.ie or email info@anamcara.ie

On Monday I was invited to attend a luncheon in London for the launch of the Pampers-UNICEF ‘Gift of Life’ campaign. I was delighted to be asked in the first place, not only because I am great supporter of this very important campaign, but that a major brand such as Pampers recognises the important role that we dads play within the family, and the contribution that we make in this fast changing parenting world.

The campaign itself focuses on the “1 Pack =1 Vaccine” so during October, November and December, for every pack of Pampers nappies or wipes purchased with the “1 Pack = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine” logo, Pampers will fund UNICEF with 1 tetanus vaccine to help protect mother and baby in need.

Launched in 2006, the initiative has so far funded approximately 44 million vaccines from money raised in the UK & Ireland alone. This is the fourth year that Pampers has teamed up with UNICEF to raise money for life-saving tetanus vaccines.

As a parent I think you would agree that it is unacceptable that thousands of babies are dying because of newborn tetanus, a disease which is ‘easily’ preventable through an inexpensive vaccination. UNICEF’s partnership with Pampers helps protect millions of newborns and their mothers around the world from this life threatening disease helping them realise their right to a happy, healthy childhood.

UNICEF’s goal with Pampers’ vital support is to eliminate maternal and infant tetanus by 2012 through an extensive immunization programme.

So what can dads do? Simple really, for the months of October, November and December, all you have to do to help reach the target number of vaccines is to buy / switch to the specially marked Pampers nappies and / or wipes. 1 pack = 1 vaccine. If your child / children are out of nappies, you can still help by clicking: 1 download = 1 donation button Why not also consider a packet of wipes for the car?

Also in attendance at Monday’s lunch was the campaign’s ambassador, actress and mother-of-three, Natascha McElhone (see pic. with ‘smug dad’) who gave a harrowing account of her recent visit to Angola where she witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of tetanus and the poor conditions in which many mothers have to give birth in.

For further details of the campaign please visit here

Other Irish delegates in attendance were: Mummymaps, Manic Mammy and Hot Cross Mum

From the UK: Bringing up Charlie, Cafe Bebe, Babyccino, Rosie Scribble and New Mummy

Today dad.ie welcomed the Law Reform Commission’s Consultation Paper on the Family Rights and Responsibilities of Fathers and Grandparents supporting their views that there should be a stronger focus within family law on parental responsibility in the best interests of the child and that the rights of unmarried fathers should be improved.

Also welcoming the report and calling for submissions on how best to progress these issues was One Family. Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family said: ‘It is vital to look at this issue from a child’s perspective and to adapt the language used in family law to reflect this focus.’ Ms. Kiernan continued: ‘For many years One Family has been calling on the Government to recognise that it is the quality of the relationships between parents and children that matters rather than legal structures.

One Family she added ‘has been developing its services in recent years to support both parents in the many different types of family relationships that now exist to maintain and develop positive relationships with their children. We hope that this report and the resulting consultation process will create a positive climate within which we can develop this work further’.

Candy Murphy, Policy and Research Manager, One Family, said ‘One Family has been carrying out extensive research on the needs of children and parents in family and relationship breakdown and is calling for greater supports for families going through this process including the establishment of child contact centres in Ireland similar to those provided in most other countries. One Family will be publishing research Supporting Child Contact: The Need for Child Contact Centres in Ireland in the very near future’.

To read a full copy of the commission visit: http://www.lawreform.ie/