Latest news with #griefSupport
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bereavement leave to be extended to miscarriages before 24 weeks
Parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to bereavement leave under a planned law change. The government is set to amend the Employment Rights Bill to give parents the legal right to take time off work to grieve if they experience pregnancy loss at any stage. As it stands, bereavement leave is only available to parents who lose an unborn child after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the change will give "people time away from work to grieve". "No one who is going through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss should have to go back to work before they are ready," Rayner said. Parents are currently entitled to a fortnight's leave if they suffer pregnancy loss after 24 weeks, or if a child younger than 18 dies. The extended right to leave will be for "at least" one week, though the exact length is still being consulted on. The Employment Rights Bill, which includes further measures to protect in law the right of employees to have time off to grieve the loss of a loved one, is already making its way through Parliament. Labour MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, has previously campaigned for the change. In 2021, she told MPs that after her own miscarriage she felt physically better in a few days but had "all the classic signs" of grieving. "I could not eat, I could not sleep. I really did not hold much hope that life would ever get brighter," she said. In March, business minister Justin Madders told MPs he accepted the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and promised to look at adding the right to the Employment Rights Bill. Vicki Robinson, chief executive of the Miscarriage Association, welcomed the announcement. She said it was "a hugely important step that acknowledges the often very significant impact of pre-24-week loss, not only for those experiencing the physical loss, but for their partners too". Government backs miscarriage bereavement leave Paid leave for bereaved parents is 'crucial' 'I went back after 3 days': Calls for miscarriage bereavement leave
The Herald
17-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Good Samaritans come to the rescue after fire destroys family home
While on her way to bury her 43-year-old daughter, Nomalungelo Sithole, 74, received news which brought some relief amid her grief — her fire-damaged home in Joe Slovo, near Despatch, will be rebuilt. Sithole's daughter died after a long illness worsened by exposure to the cold in the single room the family has been living in since a fire destroyed their house almost two years ago. She was buried on June 13. The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) in Nelson Mandela Bay has stepped in to rebuild her home. Sithole said her daughter had hidden her illness from the family. However, during the Easter weekend she had become bedridden. 'I do not have enough or the right words to say thank you to Nafcoc. 'My family helped me to bury her. 'My daughter had a creche, she helped with soccer, traditional dancing and the choir in the community,' Sithole said. With five people sharing the only remaining room, the house was in no condition to be lived in and posed a serious safety hazard. The fire occurred on September 21 2023. Sithole said this was the second fire which had started in an unexplained manner. 'My home burned down about two years ago. 'We do not know how the fire started.' Seeing smoke, she made her way towards the house, to find it was was on fire. 'When I arrived, I did not have the strength to watch. I blacked out. I collapsed only to be woken up later. 'Though everything was burned, the one miracle is that my room did not burn. 'That is the room we lived in for two years. My clothes were not burned, nor was the ceiling. 'I was sick first due to the cold, I had to stop going to church, my back was affected and my feet were always cold. 'I had given up hope that the government would help me. Nafcoc Nelson Mandela Bay region deputy chair Sithembele Vatala, acting general secretary Mlungisi John and executive member Mzukisi Tyuwa said one of their members had agreed to rebuild the house. 'The condition Sithole lives under is painful. Even her daughter died due to the cold after suffering from pneumonia,' Vatala said. 'That home is not ideal for anyone to live in. 'BLB JV Group on Cape Road agreed to build the house from scratch, and we are happy that granny said she will never forget what we have done for her.' The Herald
Washington Post
12-06-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Dads, healthy fish and the benefits of singing: The week in Well+Being
You are reading our weekly Well+Being newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Thursday. This weekend is Father's Day. It's a time that can be joyous or bittersweet, depending on your relationship with your father. The latter is particularly true if your parent has died, like Jordan Sondler's. This week, she writes about how she found deep comfort looking for 'signs' from her father, a tip she learned from a grief-support group. I could definitely relate, since my dad died a few years ago. I have him to thank for my formidable lawn-mowing skills, ability to ride a bike and much more, so I always appreciate the other dads out there, like the one in our Ask a Therapist column looking for the best way to raise his young son with love and affection. But before that … You might know that eating seafood is good for your brain, eyes and heart health. So why aren't you eating more of it? If you don't have it on your regular rotation at mealtimes, you're not alone — 90 percent of adults aren't hitting recommended intake targets. Part of the problem is that the seafood landscape can be confusing. There are so many options — from shrimp to salmon to canned tuna — how do you know which ones to eat? This week, nutrition reporter Anahad O'Connor took a deep dive into the best types of seafood, detailing those that are relatively low in mercury, high in omega-3 fats, sustainable, as well as accessible and affordable. First up is salmon, of course. While farmed salmon can certainly be a good choice, wild salmon is almost always the better option. 'Wild salmon is a triple win because it's high in good fats, low in mercury and sustainable,' Sonya Lunder, the director of community science at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Anahad. For more great choices, check out our guide to choosing the healthiest seafood. If you are a car karaoke aficionado, you'll be glad to hear that music has the power to soothe the mind, promote brain health and bring people closer together. Singing, listening to music or making music all promote health. And the wonderful part about it is that the barrier to entry is low. Even if you won't be trying out for the opera any time soon, you can reap the benefits, according to our brain health writer, Richard Sima. For example, singing karaoke was linked to increased feelings of flow and meaning in life, reported one 2022 study of 305 older adults, so there's no need to sleep on this wellness trend. 'Nobody says you shouldn't jog if you are not good at it,' Daniel Levitin, a professor emeritus of neuroscience at McGill University and dean of arts and humanities at Minerva University, told Richard. 'That's not the point.' For some great tips on how to use your love of music to create and connect with others, check out our story on the health benefits of making music. This week, our Ask a Therapist columnist is Joshua Coleman, a clinical psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area and senior fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families. My wife and I have a 4-year-old son. I'm very affectionate with him — I hug him a lot, tell him I love him and comfort him when he cries. But my wife is starting to express concern that I'll make him 'soft.' We're both good parents, but this is starting to create real tension. How do we resolve a parenting difference that touches on something so personal? It is common for people to parent similarly to how they were raised. It's partly role modeling, and partly a way to feel close to our parents by being aligned with them and sharing their values. At the same time, it's common to reinterpret painful childhood experiences in a more favorable light — to convince ourselves that what was hard was ultimately necessary. If your wife had a strict, emotionally distant father, she may have come to believe that his approach helped shape her strength — and that your son will need the same. You don't have to agree about everything in parenting to find common ground. Make it clear that your disagreements are about approach, not character. Get more useful tips on navigating a conflict if you can't agree on a parenting approach by reading the full response below. If you have a question for a therapist about mental health, relationships, sleep, dating or any other topic, email it to AskATherapist@ and we may feature it in a future column. Here are a few things that brought us joy this week. Let's keep the conversation going. We want to hear from you! Email us at wellbeing@ Want to know more about 'joy' snacks? Reporter and former neuroscientist Richard Sima explains what they are and how they can make you feel happier. You can also read his advice as a comic.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Family who lost their baby donates a cuddle cot to Timmins hospital to give other families more time to grieve
Social Sharing Sheelah Carbonneau and Justin McCarthy of Timmins had precious few moments with their son Felix. He died two years ago, just hours after he was born. "There's nothing else more important than time," Carbonneau said. "For example, I never dressed him in the clothes that I brought him to bring him home from the hospital. And I think I would have liked to have had him in that outfit." She later found out about a device called a cuddle cot. It's a cooling system for an infant who has died to be placed into and it preserves the infant's body for up to 24 hours so families can have an extra day to say goodbye. "I just thought of it immediately as an opportunity to give families time," said Carbonneau. "Especially after the trauma of childbirth, and then the emotions of welcoming your child and then saying goodbye to your child, there's nothing like having a little bit of time to process and to be able to decide how you want to say goodbye and how you want to honour your baby." Carbonneau reached out to the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation and asked if the hospital was interested in having a cuddle cot, and staff said they would love to have one but it wasn't currently listed as a priority item. She decided to buy one for $3,000 and give it to the hospital. "We're very fortunate to have it," said Alexander Langevin, manager of the maternal child program at Timmins and District Hospital. Langevin said the hospital had been reviewing different processes and options for grieving families in recent years and acknowledged a cuddle cot would be a useful device to have. He confirmed that due to other equipment needs at the hospital, the cuddle cot was not a top priority item, however, they are grateful to have one now. "The cuddle cot really fit the bill for everything we required," said Langevin. "Not hoping to use it, but we understand the reality that it will happen and at least that way we could comfort those families who may experience this in the future."
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Football match to raise awareness of baby loss
This article contains details about baby loss and grief. For a range of organisations and charities offering advice and support, please access the BBC Action Line. A charity football match has been organised in a bid to raise awareness of baby loss. Lewis Robinson set up the match to raise money for organisations that supported him and his wife through the loss of their wife Shannon was 23 weeks pregnant when they found out their son Amor's heart had stopped before he was born at Nuneaton's George Eliot Hospital in February. "I wanted to do something to make him [Amor] proud but also to raise awareness and support other families," Mr Robinson, who works for Sky Blues in the Community (SBITC), said. Proceeds will go to baby loss charity SANDS and the SBITC MENtalk project which aims to support men's mental health. The couple, who had to go through childbirth and then arrange a funeral, were supported by the George Eliot bereavement team as well as Robinson said he found the focus of support was with the mum's journey and he wanted to encourage more men to talk about what they go through. With the help of Sands, the pair have organised a charity match between SBITC and Sands United, which will take place at President Kennedy School in Coventry on 7 June."It will be a great way to celebrate Amor's life while supporting other families," added Mr Robinson. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
