Walk for Willow seeks to raise funds for Féileacáin
The pain and sorrow of an East Knockbride couple - who lost their beautiful baby girl a year ago - is still etched onto their faces. Baby Willow, who was full term, was stillborn following complications during delivery.
While Pamela and Pat Clarke accept that Willow is gone from this world, they say her story is not yet over.
The Clarkes can’t believe the number of hearts their baby girl has touched far and wide on social media “for someone that never took a breath in this world”.
In Willow’s memory, they are organising a special fundraiser this weekend for Féileacáin, the stillbirth and neonatal death association of Ireland - an organisation that gave the Clarkes great comfort and support during their darkest days.
Féileacáin provided the family with a specialist ‘cuddle cot’ that allowed the Clarke family to keep baby Willow at home with them for a three nights and four days, until her funeral took place. The couple have a family of three - Leticha, Reyanna and Reece - who also got to spend precious time with their baby sister Willow.
To give something back to Féileacáin, the family have organised a first anniversary walk/run/cycle for this Saturday, August 31, in Bailieborough, setting off from the community centre.
She was admitted for a routine induction at 6am on August 14, 2018. “All day long, Willow was perfectly fine. In the early dark hours of August 15, 2018, our world fell apart, our beautiful, healthy, precious baby girl Willow had grown her angel wings,” recalls her mum.
The inquest into baby Willow’s death has yet to take place, and that will be the next big hurdle for the family.
Devastating
“I couldn’t have imagined the devastating loss and heartbreaking pain I’ve felt since that night, that my sweet perfect baby Willow’s heart stopped beating. There’s no going back to the innocent days full of blind hope and faith.
“I wish my family and I were not in this situation and didn’t have to receive the help and support from Féileacáin. Without this amazing organisation, we would not have been able to bring our beautiful baby girl Willow home. They provided us with a cuddle cot in the hospital and at home,” explained Pamela.
They left the hospital on August 21, 2018, and the cuddle cot enabled the family to keep Willow with them for a further three nights and four days until her funeral.
“Coming home to an empty nursery and packing away her things was heartbreaking. Looking at all her toys that she would never play with and the clothes she would never wear, breaks my heart. However, I’m glad that myself, my husband and my children can keep her memory alive by organising this wonderful annual event in her honour, and to help raise awareness and funds for this non-profit organisation Féileacáin,” said Pamela.
Her husband Pat feels robbed of his daughter’s milestones in life –like the first day at school, communion, confirmation, commencing secondary school...”
“I coped with the loss by going back to my faith and prayers – that is the way I dealt with it. I know that Willow is in a good place,” he added.
Féileacáin was formed by a group of bereaved parents to offer support to anyone affected by the death of a baby around the time of birth and the organisation is now the national charity supporting families affected by perinatal loss. Their aim is to provide each maternity unit and children’s hospital in the country with the ‘Gifts of Remembering Services’ - memory boxes which are provided to parents who lose their baby around the time of birth.
The fundraising event involves a 50km and 80km cycle. Registration will be at 9am and the races commence at 10am. The donation is €20 per cyclist.
There is also a 5km and a 10km run or walk and the registration for those is at 12 noon. They will commence at 12.30 and the donation is €10 per person or €15 per family.
To make a donation, click here or log on to https://www.walkforwillow.com