A survey of parents whose babies were diagnosed with life-limiting conditions has underlined the importance of the support provided by organisations such as Every Life Counts, as most parents reported they felt failed by the maternal healthcare system after receiving what is often a devastating diagnosis.
Parents said that the Every Life Counts network had “carried them” and had “offered support and hope” – describing the service as “crucial” and saying that help “was literally always at the end of the phone”.
The support group – the only one of its kind in Ireland to offer a full package of “pre-emptive grief support and support after baby is born for a whole range of conditions” – received a gold-star rating from the families it had supported, with 95% of parents giving them the top score of 5 stars.
Vicky Wall said that the survey results reflected the urgent need to continue providing life-affirming support, advice and contact for parents when a baby’s life might be very short.
Posted by 