A fundraising event is set to take place this weekend in Co Armagh to help provide support to families after the loss of a child.
Little Forget Me Nots Trust is a NI-wide charity that supports families to process grief after a child loss.
On Saturday, April 1, the charity will have 25 people taking up a '100k in 1 Day' challenge, where soloists and teams are taking up the challenge to take 100,000 steps in 24 hours.
Read more: New bereavement suite to be built at South West Acute Hospital
As part of this, a family-friendly event will take place at Next Level Fitness at Scotch Street in Portadown from 11am, with "fun, fitness and food" on the cards.
It includes a free 'crazy combat' session at the fitness studio and a raffle with prizes donated by small businesses from across NI.
The trust was set up by Louise Taylor in 2020, who is a bereaved parent.
Catherine Muldoon, Community Connections Officer, said the charity supports those who "may have been recently bereaved or it may have been many decades ago that grief will continue to follow them until they receive the correct support to help them manage it".
She added: "Our founder, Louise Taylor struggled to find the right support to process her grief. She turned to alternative ways to keep her mind focused and away from the heavy thoughts that come after a child loss. She found herself talking more while she discovered new hobbies and interests and began to document this online which evolved into sharing her love of embroidery with others.
"After speaking with the community she had built up she began to get an understanding that using our hands can begin to mend our minds and broken hearts.
"The Little Forget Me Nots Trust (LFMNT) was formed and opened up access to alternative support for families alongside or instead of traditional talking therapies."
Founder Louise Taylor said: “Pushing myself this year has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I've never been into fitness but I decided to make it my mission to challenge myself to become more physically strong. Until now I have promoted mental health, by doing things to help your head, but I have figured out that we've to work on both.
"We have to understand that it's a daily thing, we've to take care of our mental fitness just as much as our physical fitness to be OK.
"Grief impacts us in ways we can never prepare for. For me, I became a shadow of the person I was before. I doubted myself, my work, and my ability to do anything. I always say, when you lose a child, you lose a piece of yourself. Understanding a way to rebuild yourself is something I promise to help our families do.
"We want to help you find a way to work on your mental and physical fitness so you can continue to bring your grief with you each day and find your way. It’s pretty hard to do it alone, if it wasn't for the girls at Next Level Fitness I wouldn't be taking on this challenge. So, a huge thank you to Julie and Marisa for helping me find my way."
Catherine added: "[LFMNT] offers a range of support including monthly ‘Just Be Cafe’ pop-up crafting workshops across Northern Ireland to learn a new skill and be with people who understand the experience of child loss."
It also offers funded Art Therapy for individuals, couples and families
"LFMNT aims to provide a safe, confidential space for family members to share and express their grief and experiences, ensuring that appropriate emotional and practical support is at hand," Catherine explained.
The next open call for funded Art Therapy support will take place later in 2023.
Catherine continued: "Empowering families to put structures in place to help their lives continue beyond grief is central to everything we do, and having a supportive community is key to that structure."
If you would like to access support through the Little Forget Me Nots Trust you can reach them at hello@littleforgetmenotstrust.com or find out more HERE.
You can support the '100k in 1 Day' Challenge via www.justgiving.com/campaign/100kinaday and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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