ROBERT DWYER CHOOSES HOPE

Choosing Hope: An event in support of bereaved families 

Member for Port Macquarie, Robert Dwyer is again supporting the Choosing Hope Walk this Sunday from 10.30am behind the Laurieton United Services Club.

Choosing Hope is a walk of honour and remembrance in support of bereaved families. After experiencing the loss of a baby, there is often an overwhelming feeling of isolation.

An event like Choosing Hope shows that we are not alone in our grief, and we are not alone in our loss; there is a much larger community of bereaved families out there who have also gone through a similar experience.

The words ‘I had a miscarriage’, ‘My baby was stillborn’, ‘My baby died’ are often followed by silence. Saying those words out loud can be hard and not knowing how to respond can also be difficult. However, pregnancy and infant loss is so much more common than we think.

Every day in Australia, six babies are stillborn, three babies die before their first birthday and a miscarriage occurs every 3.5 minutes. On average, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss.

Choosing Hope is a place of connection. It’s a place of reflection. And it’s a place to acknowledge, honour and remember those babies forever in our hearts. In 2024, over 150 local Mid North Coast families and friends gathered with us to honour and remember their babies.

“This year I am once again supporting the Choosing Hope Walk at Laurieton United Services Club. It is a group walk followed by a beautiful remembrance service where we acknowledge those babies gone too soon, by saying their names out loud and placing a remembrance card and flower in their honour,” Mr Dwyer said.

This event is also a support and fundraising initiative for Bears Of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support, who provide early and ongoing counselling support and hampers for families who experience the loss of their baby during pregnancy or infancy.

If you can be there, please consider making a donation via this link. https://laurieton.choosinghope.com.au/page/RobertDwyer

For more information about Choosing Hope, please visit choosinghope.com.au or contact choosinghope@bearsofhope.org.au.