For many women, losing a baby can be a traumatic, life-altering ordeal.
Castara native Lennon Grant-Andrews experienced this first-hand four years ago and similar to most women, did not have the necessary support readily available to help her cope.
However, this pain spurred her to do something about it.
In 2019, two years after the death of her 23-weeks-old baby boy, on May 19, 2017, Grant-Andrews launched an initiative called the Touched By Thais Network in tribute to her late son. But it was also conceptualised to assist other women who experienced the loss of a baby.
In an interview with Newsday on Thursday, Grant-Andrews said as part of her healing, she has been donating boxes of items to women on the surgical and maternity wards of the Scarborough General Hospital, Tobago. The boxes contain blankets, knitted baby hats, candles, a journal and other items.
On Friday, as part of her outreach, she donated boxes to mothers at the South-West Regional Health Authority and Mamatoto Resource and Birth Centre, Belmont, Trinidad.
Grant-Andrews said she is also interested in donating boxes to mothers who have lost babies within the North-West and North-Central Regional Health Authorities but she has not yet received a response.
She said over the years she has interacted with many mothers who have lost babies.
Since the death of her son, Grant-Andrews has been attending virtual meetings of support groups in the United Kingdom and other countries. She said she has encouraged the women to sit in on some of the meetings.
“Some of them were timid about going and I volunteered to go with them.”
But she realised Tobago does not have a space through which mothers who have lost babies could talk freely about their emotions.
“I threw out the idea to another mother who lost a child, because I felt this is something that is important to do. Even the head nurse in the maternity ward said a support group is needed on the island.”
As a result, Grant-Andrews founded the Baby Loss Solace Seekers on February 22, 2021. The launch was held virtually and two physical meetings were held afterwards.
But Grant-Andrews said she was disappointed with the turnout at the first meeting in March as only two mothers showed up.
“That was disheartening to me, knowing that mothers wanted this.”
She said at the April meeting, three people showed up and a month later, five.
Grant-Andrews said the group has since grown from strength to strength.
“Since then we have had at least eight persons and usually we could get up to 12 to 15 persons at a meeting.”
Last Saturday, the group held a walk from the Shaw Park Cultural Complex to the Port Mall in Scarborough to raise greater awareness for women who lost their babies.
It coincided with Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, which is celebrated annually in October. As part of the observance, the UK recognises Baby Loss Awareness Week from October 9 to 15.
But Grant-Andrews observed that some fathers have not been supporting the mothers as they ought to.
“What we h
