I am joined for this episode, by my friend Leigh Francis, who in 2014 gave birth to her first child - A perfect little boy named Flynn William Balnaves. Flynn was stillborn. In this episode, Leigh talks about her experience of giving birth and being a parent to a child who had died. She talks about the process of what's involved from finding out he had died, to giving birth, and life after the death of a child. She talks about the stages of grief she experienced and what she found helpful and comforting, and what made it worse, from the people around her. Most importantly, she speaks of the lasting impact that Flynn had on her and her family's life, and the lives of those around her. She tells the story who was very real and left a very real mark on the world. Hopefully this episode helps to shine a light on the darkness surrounding still birth and neonatal loss, and helps end the stigma and the silence that plagues the most difficult time in some people's lives.
Organisations mentioned in this episode include
SANDS - Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Newborn Death Support which can be found at https://www.sands.org.au/
and Heartfelt - A volunteer network of professional photographers providing photographic memories for families who have experienced still birth, premature birth, or have children with serious or terminal illnesses. They can be found at https://www.heartfelt.org.au/
If you know of someone who might benefit from hearing Leigh's story, whether it be to help them gain insight into how to be around someone experiencing the loss of a child, or to help someone with a similar experience feel less alone - please share this episode. Ratings and reviews also help the episode to reach new listeners.
