Two bereaved parents are to lead a ‘Wave of Light’ in Armagh on Tuesday night to remember babies who have ‘gone too soon’.
Alisha Devlin and Megan Kernan will be leading the event at The Remembrance Space at the Palace Stables at 7pm, October 15, in solidarity with all parents who have been bereaved.
The Remembrance Space was co-designed by Alisha and Megan in partnership with Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
The Wave of Light takes place as part of a global event to mark the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Everyone is invited to the Palace Stables to light candles in memory of their babies. The candles are kept alight for one hour, to create a continuous ‘Wave of Light’ that moves across time zones around the world.
Alisha Devlin, who lost her son Lochlann in 2019, has been working for bereaved parents to help bring hope following baby loss. She organised a candlelit walk on the Mall last December to remember children who have died.
Megan Kernan had twin girls – Líle and Éile. Líle sadly passed away at birth.
Speaking to Armagh I, she said she wants the garden to be a place of reflection.
“The reason for this garden is for my daughters. I wanted to make a place for families to reflect. I wanted something for my daughter Éile that when I’m long gone, that she’s able to go to a place where it’s peaceful and she can just think about her sister and be close to her.
“That’s really why I wanted to do the garden and what gave me the push to do it. Also, not every parent was able to bury their child, so I wanted a place for parents to go and leave things and think of their child that’s passed.”
The event is being supported by the Little Forget Me Nots Trust, a Lurgan-based charity set up by Louise Taylor who lost her firstborn son Ruben mid-way through her pregnancy.
The charity aims to support parents grieving the loss of a child.
Speaking to Armagh I in advance of the event, Louise said: “Supporting Alisha and Megan has been an honour to all of us at Little Forget Me Nots Trust. Whether that be with encouragement to pursue their vision of the reflective and remembrance space at the Palace Stables or by choosing this as the space to invite our wider community to join the Wave of Light.
“Our Mission at Little Forget Me Nots Trust is to creatively support our bereaved parents as they begin to find their way in life after their loss. Alisha and Megan have inspired us with their creativity to campaign for a much needed space for our local community.”
Alisha, Megan and Little Forget Me Nots invite you to join them and other families across the world by lighting a candle at 7pm at The Palace Stables or from your home to remember all babies we have said goodbye to too soon. You can register on their website www.littleforgetmenotstrust.
