Baby loss walk to help people feel 'less alone'

A starlight walk is set to take place at 19:00 BST at The Roundhouse

The organiser of a walk to allow those affected by baby loss to "reflect and remember" has said she hopes taking part will help people feel "less alone".

The Angel Starlight Walk is set to take place at 19:00 BST at the Roundhouse to coincide with Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Organiser Laurie Shipsides said as well as being an opportunity for reflection, the walk would also allow those taking part to "unite and support each other".

She said her own experiences of losing two babies had left her feeling " very alone, even though I was surrounded by people who love and care for me".

"I just felt that there was nowhere that I could turn to to talk to people about it," she continued.

The walk aims to give families a chance to reflect, unite and support each other, and participants have been encouraged to bring lights to create a trail of starlight.

Ms Shipsides said after a similar event was held last year by Manx Care to mark the introduction of baby loss certificates for grieving parents on the island, she was keen to make it an annual event.

'Come together'

Ms Shipsides lost a baby to a miscarriage in 2016, and another to an ectopic pregnancy in 2022, in which a fertilised egg develops outside of the womb.

She said in the wake of those experiences she founded Heavenly Footprints, an organisation that aims to raise awareness about baby loss and provide support.

She said people often knew that there was support, but did not know where to turn to".

People grieve in different ways, she said, and while "some people just want to reflect quietly" there were others that wanted to talk and meet others with similar experiences.

However, she said it was "so important to come together as a community to show people aren't alone" as baby loss was "unfortunately very common".

In July last year, Ms Shipsides gave birth to a baby boy, who was conceived through IVF.

"It doesn't erase the pain of losing those two babies, but he has brought so much joy into my life," she said, adding: "I think grief and love can go hand in hand."

Other events being held on the island to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week include a service of remembrance at St Thomas' Church on Tuesday at 19:00 organised by Manx Care.

A candle service, put together by the charity A Little Piece of Hope, will also be held on the Douglas Promenade at the same time the following day.