Latest news with #CountyLondonderry
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Baby loss certificate: 'This will mean so much to the parents of Northern Ireland'
Women who lost pregnancies before 24 weeks have said a baby loss certificate will be a "powerful symbol of validation for the grief that parents are going through". Currently in Northern Ireland, the death of a baby after 24 weeks is officially recorded as a stillbirth but there is no formal recognition of loss before 24 weeks, as there is in finance minister has said it is his intention to introduce a similar scheme in Northern Ireland before the end of the year and a public consultation seeking views from bereaved parents has received more than 540 responses. He is keen to hear from as many people as possible, before it closes in September. This article contains themes and images of baby loss, which some people may find distressing. BBC News NI has spoken to three bereaved women about their experiences. Selina Casey, from Kilrea in County Londonderry, was prompted to set up the White Butterfly Foundation to help other parents when she found support was lacking after her own story starts in February 2021, when she was pregnant with her third arrived to an appointment at 18 weeks, "just assuming everything would be grand", but was told her baby had no heartbeat."I was told: 'You're going to have to take medication and come in and deliver your son'," she days later, she delivered her son after a 12-hour labour at the Causeway Hospital."I left the hospital the next day with him and a leaflet," she added. 'We want to talk about our baby and call them by their name' Her charity was set up "for bereaved parents, by bereaved parents"."I remember leaving the hospital and feeling like I had nothing to remember my child," she said. She said her child has a grave but she has "no certificate for him and nothing else to say that he was here". "These certificates are going to mean so much to the parents of Northern Ireland," she added. "Not that we ever want to have a hierarchy of grief, but there are different feelings that come at different stages of pregnancy loss. At the earlier stages, prior to 24 weeks, there can be feelings of invalidation, feelings of: 'I don't have a right to grieve here'."Parents can feel silenced."She always tells families: "Please don't stop talking. We always want to talk about our baby and call them by their name if they have been named." Since the foundation opened, there have been referrals every day from health trusts and those she wishes the certificates had been brought in sooner, it's a "massively positive step forward" and, hopefully, a "stepping stone" to more support rolled out in all trust areas. 'The lack of recognition impacts your grief' Leah O'Hara "100% welcomes the certificates" but agrees that they are just one step in getting more support and legal nurse, from Bangor in County Down, lives with her husband James and daughter, eight-year-old three early pregnancy losses, last year she and James lost baby Jacob at 22 weeks. "He was born, I gave birth to him and there was nothing to recognise that he existed - he was a baby - but he was born two weeks before the cut off," she told BBC News NI. The family was able to bring him home for five days. "The lack of recognition impacts your grief. I had so much anger that our baby was not recognised. You just want their name and story told."The only certificate we have for Jacob is a cremation certificate."Leah hopes the certificate will be a step towards the issue being more openly spoken about."Sometimes such losses are overlooked because people haven't met the baby or know the baby - but you know the baby."It's a much longed for, loved baby already."Chatting to other mums in a group set up by Lurgan-based charity Little Forget Me Nots Trust has helped."Speaking to people who resonate with me and just know exactly how you feel has been amazing," she has benefitted from their programme for siblings."She was struggling with the fact that everyone in school had brothers and sisters and she didn't know how to mention her brother." Louise Taylor, from Portadown in County Armagh, founded the charity and said the certificate scheme is "so needed". She said goodbye to her son, Ruben, 10 years ago, and while there was support, it was not the support she felt she needed."Everything was so dark and so gloomy," she said."I really needed to help to figure out a way to find the light again. "I had another little girl at home and I struggled to parent her. I was back at work, completely oblivious that the grief was consuming me."Now she's "using this darkness" to help other families. Five years ago, when her father asked her to take over the family funeral directing business, she wanted to incorporate charity support."I couldn't process saying goodbye to a child and helping a parent say goodbye to the child, then letting them off into the community," she said."When somebody comes in through the door, after we've helped them say goodbye, in a few months through the darkness we pass on the baton to the charity so that the family is not left in the wilderness with nowhere to go."The programmes are "parent-led, trauma-informed and support these mummies and daddies in the darkness".One such group is for mums, using crafts, which keep hands busy while "blending it in with an element of understanding how our brain is processing this"."The most important thing is to let them know that it's OK if they feel like this and other people around this table feel like this."Her team hopes to roll out a similar group for fathers. Louise said 10 years ago she would have loved a certificate."This is about validating the grief of these mummies and daddies - putting it in stone that this wee person existed," she said."I don't think people realise what a woman goes through to say goodbye to her baby." What about leave from work? In England, there are plans for parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy to be entitled to bereavement women said they would like to see similar coming into Northern Ireland."I spoke recently to a woman who has had multiple miscarriages and she was asked to provide medical evidence of that," Selina has been off work since the heartbreak of losing baby Jacob."If Jacob had been born two weeks later I would have been entitled to maternity leave," she would also like help for self-employed parents, like her husband. Should it be applied retrospectively? The women would also support the certificate scheme being applied said she would get four certificates."We didn't name our other babies – as they were before 12 weeks but a loss is a loss."I think back dating it would help a lot of families." Who is the scheme open to? The scheme will be open to parents who have experienced the loss of a baby in the first 24 weeks of consultation runs until 12 September. If any these issues have affected you, details of help and advice are available on the BBC Action Line website.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'We ran out of Guinness' - The Open fever hits Portrush
Hospitality businesses in Portrush have said this week has surpassed expectations as the town hosts The Open Championship. Almost 280,000 golf spectators are attending the event at Royal Portrush throughout the week. After practice days from Sunday onwards, Thursday was the first day of tournament action and it lived up to expectations for many traders in the County Londonderry town. One bar has been so busy that it will need an extra delivery of Guinness to see it through the weekend. Adrian Calvin, general manager at The Quays said his pub had been busy from mid-morning until late at night all week. "It's great to see that night time trade back which is something we haven't had in a long time," he said. "Its been far busier than I thought it was going to be." He said the upturn in business started in February, with lots of people travelling from all over the world to play the course which is hosting The Open. Mr Calvin said that in preparation for the tournament he doubled the pub's Guinness order but it sold out. "I'm going to have to get a delivery on Friday", he said. Danny Coyles, general manager of The Station bar said the week had been fantastic so far. "We've been busy from we've opened the doors at 11:30 right through," he said. "We're looking forward to three more busy days". "The atmosphere has been amazing, the visitors have been fantastic and really lovely to host." Mr Coyles said the bar bought in a month's stock for the week. "We probably need every bit of it" he said. "It's the whole package really, the scenery is amazing, the golf has been fantastic, the atmosphere in all of the bars is good and the entertainment has been good as well. "This is a beautiful part of the world…I think the tourism thing will grow exponentially after this and we're certainly ready for it." Traders had hoped to see the benefits of a change in policy at The Open compared to when Royal Portrush last hosted the event in 2019. On that occasion spectators could not return to the course once they had left it. This time, fans who get a wristband are free to come and go. Heather Stewart, general manager at The Marcus Portrush, said the atmosphere in Portrush has been "electric". She said guests numbers had been increasing day on day since Sunday. "We are hoping to keep on that upward trajectory," she said. Ms Stewart said The Marchs was already seeing long term benefits from The Open. "People who came in for dinner on Monday have rang back to try and book in for Saturday and Sunday," she said. "We've had guests in the bar who have been in every single day." Nicholas Morgan and Collis Parrish flew in from Texas in the United States for the golf tournament. "Everybody is like your best friend," Mr Morgan said. "You walk into the bars and its like you've known them your whole life". They are staying in Belfast and taking the train to the north coast, he said the prices had been "very reasonable" across the board for them. MrParrish said the pair were trying to play golf while visiting despite having no clubs and that people they met on the course had "went out of their way" to get them clubs so they could play. He said he had found prices "very affordable". "We haven't seen anything out of the ordinary compared to what we pay at home for similar services," he said. Another group of golf fans told BBC News NI they travelled from Newcastle in England to watch The Open. It is their first time visiting the area and they said there had been a "buzz" since they arrived. The environment has been "completely inclusive", they added. "There's been a real blend of people, we've been speaking to someone from Chicago, from England someone from Spain." They are hoping to see Rory McIlroy walk off with the claret jug on Sunday evening. Hawks hired to scare off seagulls at The Open in Portrush What you need to know about the 153rd Open championship
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Golf: New links course planned for NI's north coast
A new links golf course is to be built on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about 20 miles from Royal Portrush which is currently hosting The developers of the course said it would be "Northern Ireland's first championship links golf course in more than 100 years".A links golf course is the oldest and most traditional form of course, with origins in courses are typically built on sandy coastal terrain, offering firmer playing surfaces than those found on parkland or heathland. It is hoped the new course, on the coast near Bellarena in County Londonderry, will open in Minister Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the development and said it would help to increase the impact of golf on Northern Ireland's course is being developed by the Galgorm managing director Colin Johnston said preparatory work had already started and main work on the course could begin from Northern Ireland's chairwoman Ellvena Graham said Northern Ireland was already "a highly sought-after destination for golfers from across the globe" and she hoped more would be attracted to visit the new course. Northern Ireland's current links courses include Royal Portrush and Royal County Down in Newcastle.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'We ran out of Guinness' - The Open fever hits Portrush
Hospitality businesses in Portrush have said this week has surpassed expectations as the town hosts The Open 280,000 golf spectators are attending the event at Royal Portrush throughout the practice days from Sunday onwards, Thursday was the first day of tournament action and it lived up to expectations for many traders in the County Londonderry bar has been so busy that it will need an extra delivery of Guinness to see it through the weekend. Adrian Calvin, general manager at The Quays said his pub had been busy from mid-morning until late at night all week."It's great to see that night time trade back which is something we haven't had in a long time," he said."Its been far busier than I thought it was going to be."He said the upturn in business started in February, with lots of people travelling from all over the world to play the course which is hosting The Open. Mr Calvin said that in preparation for the tournament he doubled the pub's Guinness order but it sold out."I'm going to have to get a delivery on Friday", he said. Danny Coyles, general manager of The Station bar said the week had been fantastic so far."We've been busy from we've opened the doors at 11:30 right through," he said."We're looking forward to three more busy days"."The atmosphere has been amazing, the visitors have been fantastic and really lovely to host."Mr Coyles said the bar bought in a month's stock for the week."We probably need every bit of it" he said."It's the whole package really, the scenery is amazing, the golf has been fantastic, the atmosphere in all of the bars is good and the entertainment has been good as well."This is a beautiful part of the world…I think the tourism thing will grow exponentially after this and we're certainly ready for it."Traders had hoped to see the benefits of a change in policy at The Open compared to when Royal Portrush last hosted the event in that occasion spectators could not return to the course once they had left time, fans who get a wristband are free to come and go. Heather Stewart, general manager at The Marcus Portrush, said the atmosphere in Portrush has been "electric". She said guests numbers had been increasing day on day since Sunday. "We are hoping to keep on that upward trajectory," she Stewart said The Marchs was already seeing long term benefits from The Open. "People who came in for dinner on Monday have rang back to try and book in for Saturday and Sunday," she said."We've had guests in the bar who have been in every single day." Nicholas Morgan and Collis Parrish flew in from Texas in the United States for the golf tournament. "Everybody is like your best friend," Mr Morgan said."You walk into the bars and its like you've known them your whole life". They are staying in Belfast and taking the train to the north coast, he said the prices had been "very reasonable" across the board for them. MrParrish said the pair were trying to play golf while visiting despite having no clubs and that people they met on the course had "went out of their way" to get them clubs so they could play. He said he had found prices "very affordable". "We haven't seen anything out of the ordinary compared to what we pay at home for similar services," he said. Another group of golf fans told BBC News NI they travelled from Newcastle in England to watch The is their first time visiting the area and they said there had been a "buzz" since they arrived. The environment has been "completely inclusive", they added. "There's been a real blend of people, we've been speaking to someone from Chicago, from England someone from Spain." They are hoping to see Rory McIlroy walk off with the claret jug on Sunday evening.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Killaloo: Homes evacuated after discovery of suspicious object
A small number of homes have been evacuated during a security alert in County began when a suspect object was found on the Gulf Road in Killalo at about 11:20 BST on are being advised the Gulf Road is currently closed at its junction with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it would issue an update in due course.
