A UK charity has thanked Glentoran leader Marcus Kean for helping to raise awareness of child loss in Northern Ireland.
Founded in 2010, Aching Arms offers “comfortable bears” to local hospitals and hospice homes, as well as broader support for deceased parents.
Marcus and his wife Amy, who lost their son Harry a week before Christmas 2019, were both supporters of the project.
The Kane family was present when a $1,500 check collected from a local church youth club that their daughter Molly attended was handed over to Aching Arms earlier this month.
Laura Kelly, coordinator of Charity Hospital in Northern Ireland, believes Kane’s Irish history has helped shed light on the problem of missing children and the support agencies available to local families.
Laura, who lost her one-week-old son Cormac in 2017, said: “The fact that Marcus is using his Irish Premier League profile to raise awareness on this important topic is invaluable.
The fact that he and his wife, Amy, are also open about sharing their story helps break the taboo of losing a child and make a big difference.
“They are making wonders not only for the memory of their little boy Harry, but also for a small charity like Aching Arms.
“We appreciate it very much and the money raised will make a huge difference and help many families.”
Kane, who has played nearly 350 games for Glentoran, thanked the Wellcome Church youth club in Belfast Friday night for collecting 1,500 matches for the Aching Arms.
The 30-year-old said: “Molly goes to a youth club on Friday night and Reverend Jonathan Clark wants to do something to memorialize Harry.
“We celebrated Aching Arms and later raised 1,500 for the Winter Market, which will go a long way to charity. It was a great idea, a great gesture and we are very grateful to you.”
1,500 will be spent on 100 dolls donated to 100 families, mainly in Northern Ireland, starting at the Royal Maternity Hospital this week.
Each bear is a gift from a family that has already suffered the loss of a child, a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or the death of an infant. It also contains details of support agencies.
“Tell the other families they are not alone,” Marcus said. “When Harry and I were in the hospital, we had a comfy teddy bear with another baby name on it.
“Oscar was another baby who died and it meant a lot to have a bear named Oscar. He’s so precious, he’s been hugged so much and so you find comfort.
“As a result, we’ve decided to donate some comfort bears along the way to Aching Arms, and there are already some bears named Harry.
“I know losing a child is often seen as a taboo topic, but I think it’s important to raise awareness and also highlight the charities and aid available.”
Like his seven-year-old daughter Molly, Marcus and Amy gave birth to a younger son, Bowie, who is now 18 months old, in 2020.
“When you lose a baby, the baby is called a rainbow baby, and that’s how Bowie got his name,” Marcus said. We thought Bowie would be an apt name.
To get souvenir bear gifts for kids, please click the link below.
https://achingarms.enthuse.com/cf/donate-a-bear-in-memory
To request comfort bear, if you have lost a baby at any stage of your pregnancy, before or after birth, simply click on the link below.
Getting bears in the UK is not worth it.
https://www.achingarms.co.uk/request-a-bear.aspx
For more information on traumatic weapons..
https://www.achingarms.co.uk/about-aching-arms/what-we-do.aspx
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Source: Belfastlive
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