Saturday 25 March was Say Their Name Day in Australia, which allows parents to honour their children and speak about their experiences after the loss of a baby through stillbirth or sudden infant death.
Say Their Name Day is an annual Red Nose Australia campaign that encourages people to speak out loud about much wanted babies gone far too soon.
Red Nose Australia CEO Keren Ludski knows that talking about the death of a baby can be an incredibly hard conversation.
“Many parents tell us they want people to talk about their babies,” she said.
“Their babies existed, they were wanted and much loved and they need to feel them acknowledged.”
Ms Ludski points to Say Their Name Day as an accessible way to open up a conversation.
“Talking about the loss of a baby really can help a parent who is incredibly distressed,” she said.
Every year in Australia, it’s estimated that around 110,000 families go through the trauma of miscarriage and 3,000 more endure the loss of a baby through stillbirth or sudden infant death.
These devastating losses are often followed by silence.
Friends, colleagues and family members are often unsure what to say to grieving parents, and often say nothing for fear of causing further distress.
Thousands of Australians publicly shared the names or nicknames of their loved and missed babies as part of the Say Their Name Day campaign.
Parent Jacki O’Farrell values the opportunity to talk about her child Oakly who was stillborn in March 2022.
“Having a day where we actually get to talk about him, which is all a parent ever wants to do with their child, is really comforting,” she said.
Red Nose is also currently funding a new $100,000 research project into best-practice bereavement care for parents who lose a baby.
This study is being led by Associate Professor Fran Boyle at the University of Queensland.
Parents wanting to get involved in Say Their Name Day can also add their child’s name to the virtual memorial wall, create an online tribute fundraiser, donate to Red Nose or share their story on social media.
Australians also marked Say Their Name Day by continuing to add their signatures to a petition to Federal Parliament, calling for the creation of dedicated stillbirth/bereavement suites in maternity hospitals across the country.
Created by NSW mum Sophie Toneguzzi, whose son Huxley was stillborn in 2020, the petition currently has almost 30,000 signatures.
Ms Toneguzzi thinks Say Their Name Day is important to all families who experienced loss in this way.
“It’s a way to remember them and keep their memory alive,” she said.
Sophie and her hospital knew Huxley had died before she went into labour, but the only option was for her to give birth in the standard maternity suite.
See the petition here: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN4873
Parents can speak with the Red Nose Team on their 24/7 Support Line: 1300 308 307
