Bereaved Parents' Club

In this podcast episode we speak with Lucy from Ellie’s Gift about how the service began after the loss of her baby daughter Ellie and how that experience shaped support for families facing baby loss. Lucy talks about Ellie’s birth plan and their hypnobirthing approach, which helped create a calm delivery and a precious chance to say hello and goodbye.

Lucy explains how she later trained as a hypnobirthing teacher and adapted those ideas into Ellie’s Gift, a free app used in the NHS and internationally, with resources such as audio tracks, journaling, yoga and aftercare support. We also cover the organisation’s work for families experiencing TFMR (Termination For Medical Reasons), its mindfulness and grief course, the companion book, and the importance of language, collaboration and support during pregnancy after loss.

Lucy Livesey, Ellie’s Gift, baby loss, support, birth plan, hypnobirthing, NHS app, grief, TFMR, stillbirth, miscarriage and mindfulness

In this podcast we chat with Vanessa May, a bereaved parent, author, grief and spiritualist life coach about supporting bereaved parents and her books 'Love Untethered: How to Live When Your Child Dies' and 'When Grief Takes Everything: A Survival Guide to Devastating Loss’. We discuss her son Harry, the shock of his death, and how writing became a way for Vanessa to process her grief.

We also talk about the physical effects of grief and trauma, including sleep, digestion, anxiety, and nervous system dysregulation, as well as the value of self-care, breathwork, journaling, nature, and support from other bereaved parents. Vanessa reflects on continuing bonds, spiritual beliefs, signs, and the comfort she found in research about mothers carrying cells from their children.

Finally, we discuss Vanessa’s later losses, including her husband of 30 years and her father, and how these experiences shaped her understanding of complex grief and trauma and how she wrote her third book during this time. Vanessa speaks about taking things one day at a time, finding small pleasures, and accepting that grief changes rather than ends.

Vanessa May, bereaved mother, grief coach, grief educator, grief, bereaved parents, Love Untethered, When Grief Takes Everything, trauma recovery, continuing bonds

In this special episode for National Bereaved Parents Day 2026  we speak with Gayle Routledge, founder and CEO of A Child of Mine.  We hear how she set up National Bereaved Parents Day on 3 July 2020 and the purpose of this year's theme - This Is My Place. 

We also hear her personal story about her son Lewis, from his neuroblastoma diagnosis and treatment to his death shortly before his third birthday.

Gayle shares how A Child of Mine began as a website and grew into a charity offering peer to peer support for bereaved families locally and online. Gayle covers the range of support the charity provides for parents, siblings, grandparents, and families affected by different types of loss.

Gayle explains the importance of the candle-lighting at 7pm on 3rd July and how they look to share parents' stories for National Bereaved Parents Day, along with this year’s butterfly installation in St Mary's Church in Stafford.  

Links:

https://achildofmine.org.uk/

https://achildofmine.org.uk/category/support/

https://www.facebook.com/achildofmine

https://www.instagram.com/achildofmine/%20

In this special collaboration episode For Dads By Dads we wanted to recognise and offer support for bereaved dads of any circumstances.

We will hear from Dads who have lost a baby, a child, a young person and an adult child.

We understand that each loss is unique but the difficulties and challenges you may be navigating right now might be similar.

We hope by hearing from different Dads it brings you some connection, support, recognition and hope of the devastating loss you are going through.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the bereaved dads who have contributed to this episode: Raj, David, Ronak, Simon, David Higson, Olly and Bryan.

We have listed organisations that the dads have mentioned and other organisations providing support to Dads on our episode listing which you can find on our web site at bereavedparentsclub.org.uk.

This episode is dedicated to Riaan Sam Jakub George Martin Evie Poppy and Dottie.

Nicola shares her heartbreaking story of her daughterLaura's bravery and determination after being diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer Glioblastoma. 

How Laura defied the initial terminal prognosis timeline, the families fight for treatment to keep Laura alive.  Nicola shares stories of Laura's bucket list which went viral. 

How Laura became a young ambassador for the Brain Tumour Charity and re-enrolled at university whilst having Chemo and completed her degree course and graduated with a 2:1.

Nicola shares the need for the narrative to change in termsof more support and recognition for sibling loss and that her other daughter Gracie now works for Sibling Support UK to help other siblings like herself.

Nicola Nuttall has become a passionate fundraiser, speaker and campaigner, fighting to raise awareness of the disease.

Her book ‘The Stars Will Still Be There’ published by Harper Collins, is an unflinchingly honest account of how the family coped with Laura’s devastating diagnosis and helped to make the most of her remaining time, reminding us all to live life to the fullest and ‘Be More Laura’ every single day.

Nicola runs The Be More Laura Foundation which funds vital research in the hope of finding kinder, more effective treatments for glioblastoma and works with organisations such as Our Brain Bank, Brain Cancer Justice and The Brain Tumour Charity to call for change in how brain tumours are treated, particularly in young adults.

Please be aware this episode will include themes of death, loss and cancer treatment.

How do you tackle wills, pensions and legacy post the death of your only child when you have little family and no future bloodline?

Tracy George's Mum shares her experience and recent difficult conversations and being four years on with still no plan?

We would be happy to hear any thoughts and what other parents and families have done?

#childloss​

We are thankful that Katja Faber Argenta has taken the time to record this very special Christmas Message.

Katja shares her experiences of navigating Christmas over the last eleven years after her son Alex was killed on 30th December 2014.

For parents more newly bereaved or parents struggling this year with the difficulties of Christmas we hope you find some comfort in Katja's words on how her family have reinvented Christmas as the years have passed and that it has felt lighter and softer in more recent years.

@katja.author.faber is a mother, writer, speaker and grief mentor. I like so many other bereaved parents took great comfort from Katja's posts over the years as her words resonated and I could identify in what she was writing.

We would like to wish Katja, her family and all our listeners a peaceful Christmas. Whatever you choose to do or not do over the coming days is enough.

Extending our love to you and your loved ones no longer physically with us ❤️.

This podcast short is dedicated to Alex ❤️

#childloss

#bereavedparent

#survivingchristmas

We are so honoured @love.from.dad Matt has recorded this very special Christmas Message for parents who are navigating the devastating loss of a baby or young child.

Matt talks about navigating that first Christmas without their baby daughter Wren who died at eight days old in April 2022.

Matt explains the difficulties of handling family photos and how they include Wrens bunny in these family gatherings.

Matt shares some beautiful ways of how they include and honour their daughter Wren at Christmas.  Including buying an age appropriate toy at and donating it to a local charity in Wren's honour.

From the bottom of our heart we send our love to Matt, his family and to anyone affected by the loss of a baby 🩷💙.

For parents seeking understanding please follow Matt @love.from.dad . Matt is an advocate for the @stillparentspodcast hosted by Dads who have all experienced baby loss.
Please reach out to your local baby loss charity and national ones that offer support and a helpline.

This podcast short is dedicated to Wren 🩷.

Today we are so thankful for Sascha's little sister Stefanie who has kindly recorded this special Christmas message.

Her older brother Sascha died aged 18 in 2004 from Glioblastoma which is an aggressive cancer in the brain.

Stefanie shares how they honour and include Sascha at Christmas and have formed ways of doing this as a family every year.

We love the candle lighting idea and having a candle burning into the new year as a symbol of Stefanie taking Sascha into the next year with her.

Coping with a new year without your loved one is often very challenging and a particularly complex time in grief.

Sibling grief is complicated as not only does it change the dynamics of your family. You may now be the only living child yet this was never meant to be. Often siblings have special close relationships they can be best friends, confidents and protectors and the loss of them is felt in so many ways.

The focus after a child dies is often on the parents as this is against the natural order of life. For a sibling they are grieving the loss of their sibling and on top the loss of the son/daughter relationship they had before as their parents are struggling with their own grief. This can have further impact the family connection with living siblings as each of their relationships with their parents and siblings are uniquely individual to them.

This is a truly beautiful message from Stefanie which clearly shows the growing love and bond she has with her big brother Sascha.

Thank you Stefanie x

This podcast short is dedicated to Sascha ❤️

#glioblastomaawareness

#siblingloss

#siblinggrief

#survivingchristmas

#saytheirnames

We are so grateful to Emma Ruby's Mum for taking the time to record this special podcast short on how her family handle Christmas and include/honour their daughter Ruby who died in May 2020 at the age of eighteen from lymphoma a form of blood cancer.

We hope it resonates and provides comfort and support to other bereaved parents as this time of year is particularly tricky and at times overwhelming.

Ruby's family and friends have raised a truly incredible £292k during the last five years through Live Kindly Live Loudly which is Ruby's motto and her legacy.

All the money raised goes directly to CCLG: The Children & Young People's Cancer Association  raising vital funds for research into T-cell lymphoma and leukaemia.

You can find out more information by visiting @livekindlyliveloudly on instagram and clicking on their web link in the bio.

Thank you Emma xx

This podcast short is dedicated to Ruby ❤️.

#livekindlyliveloudly
#bereavedparents
#childloss
#survivingchristmas
#saytheirnames