News and Blogs

Read the latest news, events and updates from Cruse Scotland – plus blogs written by in-house and partner experts covering the complex landscape of grief, death and bereavement.

Edinburgh Kiltwalk

Edinburgh Kiltwalk

Look out some tartan, pull on your trainers, and get ready to have lots of fun at one of three distances at the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday 15 September 2024!

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Dundee Kiltwalk

Dundee Kiltwalk

Get ready for the Dundee Kiltwalk on Sunday 11 August 2024 - whether you choose the 5.5 or 21.5 mile distances - its going to be epic!

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Aberdeen Kiltwalk

Aberdeen Kiltwalk

Pull on your kilt, dust off your walking shoes, and get together with family, friends or colleagues to take on one of two distances at the Aberdeen Kiltwalk on Sunday 2 June!

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Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2024

Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2024

Whether you want to take on a full or half marathon, 'Hairy Haggis' team relay, 5k or 10k, run in Edinburgh and be part of Scotland’s largest running festival. 

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Glasgow Kiltwalk

Glasgow Kiltwalk

Look out a bit of tartan, lace up your trainers and get together with family, friends or colleagues to experience one of three distances at the amazing Glasgow Kiltwalk!  Take on 23, 14 or 3 miles this April!

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The Supernova Kelpies 5k returns!

The Supernova Kelpies 5k returns!

Go on a thrilling journey of light and sound in this unforgettable sensory 5k night time run. Friday 15 or Saturday 16 March 2024

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Jen's Journey from Client to Volunteer

Jen's Journey from Client to Volunteer

In this moving blog post, Jen our volunteer, opens up about losing her parents and raising her daughter. Jen's story covers the journey from reaching out to our support services, to volunteering with us.

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A Helpline volunteer's experience on the growth of this vital service

A Helpline volunteer's experience on the growth of this vital service

Iain has volunteered with Cruse Scotland for the best part of two decades and over this time he has seen a lot of growth and change, particularly with our Free National Bereavement Helpline where he continues to volunteer. In this blog, Iain shares his journey and how the Helpline has expanded over the years. 

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Losing a Partner

Losing a Partner

In acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day and the stark reminders all around for those who are grieving their partner, Cruse Scotland Director of Client Services, Nicola Reed, offers some understanding and words of comfort.

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Practical support guide

Practical support guide

This helpful guide provides you with clarity and some immediate answers to the practical and legal duties, from obtaining a death certificate, registering a death, arranging a funeral, digital property, and more.

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"My wee boy is back" - Thorin's story

"My wee boy is back" - Thorin's story

Ten year old Thorin and his mum, Diana, launch our Christmas Appeal by sharing the difference Cruse Scotland made to their lives thanks to the support from Children and Young Person Bereavement specialist, Annamarie.

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Celebrating Christmas after loss - Tips for parents and carers

Celebrating Christmas after loss - Tips for parents and carers

Christmas can be a time when loss is felt particularly acutely and when the absence of the loved person is felt more strongly than in the everyday run of life. In this article, Jayne Paulson, Children and Young Person Supporter, shares some ideas that may help those supporting a bereaved child this Christmas.

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Running in memory of my mum

Running in memory of my mum

“It’s such a comfort to me knowing that charities like Cruse Scotland exist. I wish I knew about their bereavement support for Young People when I was 14" - Read Laura's blog and why she ran her first Half Marathon this year.

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"Cruse Scotland helped me through my childhood."

"Cruse Scotland helped me through my childhood."

"How do you tell an 8 and 11 year old that they will never see their dad again?”

Read the blog from mum, Tracy, and her children, Caitlin and Cameron, that shares how Cruse Scotland was there to support them after their dad died during the festive break.

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Why grieving children need your help this Christmas

Why grieving children need your help this Christmas

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12 tips for easing anxiety

12 tips for easing anxiety

Here are some simple and practical tips on how to cope with anxiety, especially when it is combined with grief.

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Play our Lottery

Play our Lottery

Buy a ticket for £1 and you could win up to £25,000 at the same time as making a BIG difference to children, young people and adults struggling with their grief.

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Christmas Appeal Toolkit

Christmas Appeal Toolkit

Free downloads to help you have fun, spread the word about our services, raise funds, and more.

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Transgender Day of Remembrance - 20 November

Transgender Day of Remembrance - 20 November

We're here if you're struggling with grief and need to talk. This article also shares information and tips on how to be an ally, as well as some of the challenges we have faced when working with clients who identify as trans.

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Lewis' inspiring efforts to offer hope to others

Lewis' inspiring efforts to offer hope to others

"If someone was thinking about taking on a running challenge for Cruse Scotland, I’d say JUST DO IT! The feeling of knowing that money is going to help people who are going through some of the worst times of their life overrides the pain of the early morning long runs, 10 times over!”

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Pregnancy and Baby Loss Resources

Pregnancy and Baby Loss Resources

This is a list we will keep adding to as resources come to our attention. We hope you find comfort in other people's stories - as well as further information, advice and support. 

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Suicide prevention support

Suicide prevention support

Support is available locally and nationally, in many different ways - here are just a number of organisations that you, or someone you know, can reach out to for additional help.

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World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day is held each year on 10 September, and invites everyone to show their support for suicide prevention efforts, to reflect, and to remember those lost to suicide and those bereaved by suicide.

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Get help with funeral costs

Get help with funeral costs

If you get certain tax credits or benefits you can get help to pay for a loved one's funeral.

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149km in a month!

149km in a month!

Tina and Lewis, and their four legged friend Bailey, took on an epic 149km month long challenge to raise funds for Cruse Scotland in memory of their friend Galen.

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Volunteers' Week Blog: Angie

Volunteers' Week Blog: Angie

Bereavement Counsellor, Angie Toppan, talks about the path that brought her to Cruse Scotland.

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Volunteers' Week Blog: Lara

Volunteers' Week Blog: Lara

Lara shares her personal experience of grief and why she now volunteers as a Bereavement Counsellor with Cruse Scotland.

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Volunteers' Week Blog: Jayne

Volunteers' Week Blog: Jayne

Jayne is a Children and Young Person Supporter who gives her time, skills and experience to bring specialist tailored advice and support depending on the age and stage of grief the child is at.

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102 miles run and over £6,000 raised

102 miles run and over £6,000 raised

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival took place over the last weekend in May and we're so grateful to have our largest team of Cruse Scotland runners to date, across four distances. 

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Free Suicide Bereavement Support for Workplaces

Free Suicide Bereavement Support for Workplaces

Cruse Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free bereavement support for workplaces affected by suicide.

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Free online course on grief launched for youth workers

Free online course on grief launched for youth workers

In partnership with No Knives, Better Lives we have developed a course on supporting young people experiencing grief and bereavement.

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Finding hope through fitness

Finding hope through fitness

From Half Marathons to HYROX Functional Fitness competitions, find out how Douglas found his new passions and why it may just inspire you to get physical too.

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Mothering Sunday after ‘losing’ a child

Mothering Sunday after ‘losing’ a child

"As a Mother you will keep the memories and the essence of that beloved being in your heart forever and you can never lose that!" - Cruse Scotland volunteer counsellor, Lilian McDade, shares a blog on how she keeps the memories of her son alive on Mother's Day, and all year round.

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Helplines Awareness Day

Helplines Awareness Day

Cruse Scotland is delighted to be involved in the first ever Helplines Awareness Day - a great opportunity for us to celebrate the amazing work of our Free National Bereavement Helpline and the incredible team behind this vital service.

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Thanking our 'Helpline Heroes.'

Thanking our 'Helpline Heroes.'

Helpline Manager Kyle shares a blog giving thanks to the incredible team behind the Cruse Scotland National Bereavement Helpline. 

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Cruse Scotland probably, and quite literally, saved my life.

Cruse Scotland probably, and quite literally, saved my life.

"To feel alone especially at Christmas with your thoughts and feelings is not something that anyone should have to struggle with - so there is a way forward and Cruse Scotland helped me to deal with something that I truly believe probably, and quite literally, saved my life."

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Fiona's blog - Our first ever Christmas day Helpline caller

Fiona's blog - Our first ever Christmas day Helpline caller

"If they hadn’t answered my call on that difficult day, I know that I would not have gone on from strength to strength."

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How Christmas has forever changed now for Holly

How Christmas has forever changed now for Holly

"I didn’t see the point of celebrating when it felt like my heart was constantly breaking."

Holly shares how Cruse Scotland has helped her to cope following the death of her Grandad.

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No one should struggle alone

No one should struggle alone

Across Scotland, 300,000 bereaved children, young people and adults are facing their first Christmas without a loved one. Many will need additional support to cope. No one should struggle alone.

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Bereavement Counsellor Ewan shares his experience of grief at Christmas. 

Bereavement Counsellor Ewan shares his experience of grief at Christmas. 

"I did not forget the help that Cruse Scotland gave and in my own journey of studying Counselling I took the opportunity of becoming a volunteer."

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Andrea suffered Delayed Bereavement Reaction before turning to Cruse Scotland

Andrea suffered Delayed Bereavement Reaction before turning to Cruse Scotland

"I felt so under pressure in the first Christmas to keep everything the way it had been before. Such a pressure, but at the time I didn’t grasp it. I had a wee child to think about and John’s family. I couldn’t afford to ‘indulge’ my grief. This is how I felt."

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Coping with grief and anxiety at Christmas

Coping with grief and anxiety at Christmas

Christmas can be a time of heightened emotion, grief and anxiety for those who have been bereaved. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Graham Stevenson, offers advice about coping with anxiety during the festive period, especially when it is combined with grief.

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Funerals, Feelings and Expectations

Funerals, Feelings and Expectations

Funerals come in all shapes and sizes, in her latest Blog, Mo Szulejewska encourages us all to be prepared for our feelings ahead of a funeral.

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A Nation Mourns

A Nation Mourns

A nation mourns. But why? And what is that all about? Nicola Reed, Cruse Scotland's Head of Client Services explains.

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Why am I feeling this way?

Why am I feeling this way?

As a nation mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth ll, we give some advice on how to manage your grief.

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New Chief Executive Officer

New Chief Executive Officer

Cruse Scotland announces appointment of new Chief Executive Officer.

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Cruse Scotland volunteer publishes debut book

Cruse Scotland volunteer publishes debut book

Bereaved Glasgow mum and Cruse Scotland volunteer has written a book in memory of her baby daughter to help others cope with adversity

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High school student gets career ready

High school student gets career ready

Julia shares her thoughts following a four week internship with Cruse Scotland

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The sky's the limit

The sky's the limit

Katie Mackay really has gone ‘above and beyond’ in her efforts to raise thousands of pounds - as well as much needed awareness - for suicide prevention and bereavement support charities, by climbing 30 Munros in memory of her brother, Calum.

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Running in memory of my mum

Running in memory of my mum

Alex from Dundee has signed up to the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow this October and shares more about her reasons for taking on this fundraising challenge.

 

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Lewis Leap and Cruse Scotland

Lewis Leap and Cruse Scotland

Working together to develop support for bereaved families after a traumatic loss.

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We're recruiting!

We're recruiting!

There are five opportunities to be part of our brilliant team across a variety of three different roles.

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Margaret's blog: the death of my husband during lockdown

Margaret's blog: the death of my husband during lockdown

Margaret tells us about her experience losing her husband during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and how Cruse Scotland helped her cope with his death.

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Why do we need to 'Demystify' Death?

Why do we need to 'Demystify' Death?

This week is Demystifying Death week in Scotland. Rebecca Patterson, Director of Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief – and one of Cruse Scotland’s Board Members – explains what the week is about.

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What is Stress - and How Can You Manage it?

What is Stress - and How Can You Manage it?

When we face changes and challenges in life, feeling stressed out is natural. Stress is the body’s normal response to physical or emotional tension. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Saboohi Gill, explains what stress is and how you can manage it. 

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A Day in the Life of a Cruse Scotland Counsellor

A Day in the Life of a Cruse Scotland Counsellor

Volunteer Bereavement Counsellor, Lilian, shares her approach to counselling and how she prepares for each session.

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Taking it Step-by-Step... Together

Taking it Step-by-Step... Together

Find out what members of our peer support groups in Fife think about this service, and how Cruse Scotland continued to engage them, safely, throughout the pandemic.

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Facing a New Year Alone

Facing a New Year Alone

January can be a really hard time for people who have lost someone close in the previous year. In addition, it’s unsurprising that significant losses from previous years can also play a strong part in your thoughts at this time. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Graham Stevenson, outlines feelings that may arise as you look to the new year ahead.

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Complicated Grief

Complicated Grief

You may have heard the term ‘complicated grief’ and wondered if what you’re experiencing fits with its definition. In this blog post, Cruse Scotland Training Manager, Daryl Cuthbert, explains what complicated grief is, how it differs from ‘normal’ grief and how you can get support.

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The Complexity of Grief After an Alcohol-Related Death

The Complexity of Grief After an Alcohol-Related Death

For Alcohol Awareness Week, Nicola Reed explores the complexities of grieving for a loved one who died from an alcohol-related cause.

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Child Bereavement - A Volunteer's Story

Child Bereavement - A Volunteer's Story

Having suffered multiple bereavements at a very young age, volunteer Audrey Holligan found her calling as a children and young people's supporter. Here she tells her story, how it has shaped her career, and how helping others has ultimately helped her heal from her own trauma.

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Remembrance Day: Lessons from Older Generations

Remembrance Day: Lessons from Older Generations

For Remembrance Day 2021, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Audrey Holligan, shares a moving encounter with war veterans when she represented our Step-by-Step groups at a Legion d'Honneur service.

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November - A Season Of Remembering

November - A Season Of Remembering

As the nights draw in and falling leaves remind us of nature's lifecycle, November brings a number of opportunities for us to remember loved ones we've lost.

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Why did Losing my Pumpkin Feel like Losing my Baby Again?

Why did Losing my Pumpkin Feel like Losing my Baby Again?

Last year, Danielle shared her own story of miscarriage on the Cruse Scotland blog to help others going through a similar experience. For Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021, she reflects on how the simple act of growing, and losing, a pumpkin triggered feelings similar to her grief after miscarriage.

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Supporting a Friend After Baby Loss

Supporting a Friend After Baby Loss

After a friend suffers the trauma of miscarriage, it can be hard to know what to do or say. In this article, Cruse Scotland Area Manager, Nicola Reed, offers advice about how to support someone grieving for their baby.

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The Silence of Miscarriage

The Silence of Miscarriage

Nicola Reed, Cruse Scotland’s Area Manager for the North and East, explores the silences enveloping miscarriage and the complex feelings that parents, grandparents, siblings and friends may experience.

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Men’s Experience of Miscarriage

Men’s Experience of Miscarriage

In this article, Danielle Cooper-Lowden, a Cruse Scotland Volunteer and graduate of the MSc Counselling course from Abertay, Dundee, discusses the subject of her Masters project: fathers’ experience of child loss through miscarriage and stillbirth.

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Grieving in a Global Pandemic

Grieving in a Global Pandemic

Cruse Scotland volunteer, Graham Stevenson, outlines how the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is affecting bereavement, and shares some tips for connecting, reaching out, coping with difficult emotions and looking after yourself during these difficult times.

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The Impact of Transitions and How to Cope with Them

The Impact of Transitions and How to Cope with Them

Transitions in life can cause emotional disruption, even if they bring about positive changes. The death of a loved one inevitably causes major transitions, in terms of one’s role, identity, meaning and lifestyle. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Saboohi Gill, explores the psychological impacts of transitions and offers tips on how to cope with life’s challenges and changes.

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Delayed Grief

Delayed Grief

Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade, reflects on her own experience of delayed grief and encourages others to seek support – even if grief surfaces decades after a bereavement.

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Being a Bereaved Parent

Being a Bereaved Parent

Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade, lost her 21-year-old son 19 years ago. In this blog article, she recounts her story and how she felt in the days, weeks, months and years after her son’s tragic death.

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Journal Writing Through Grief

Journal Writing Through Grief

Cruse Scotland volunteer, Mo Szulejewska, has been keeping a journal for years and found writing particularly helpful when grieving the deaths of her parents. In this article, Mo describes the benefits of journal writing and offers tips to help you get started.

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Letter Writing: Continuing Conversations

Letter Writing: Continuing Conversations

Cruse Scotland volunteer, Mo Szulejewska, describes how letter writing can help to continue a relationship with a loved one who has died.

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Poetry Writing Through Grief

Poetry Writing Through Grief

Writing poetry can be a therapeutic activity to express your emotions and remember your loved one. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade shares some of her own poetry and explains how it has helped her during times of grief.

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Coping with Cancer during Coronavirus

Coping with Cancer during Coronavirus

Today, on World Cancer Day, we share a personal story of a colleague who has lived through this experience. We thank her for offering her reflections, and her suggestions for how you can help people coping with cancer at this time.

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Helping Children & Young People Through Bereavement

Helping Children & Young People Through Bereavement

In this blog post, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Audrey Holligan, describes how children and young people may experience grief, and how adults around them can help them cope.

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Baby Loss Awareness: Danielle's Story

Baby Loss Awareness: Danielle's Story

Originally written for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2020, one of our volunteer counsellors, Danielle, shares her own story of miscarriage to help us all open up about this difficult but sadly far-too-common experience.

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