Disenfranchised loss refers to grief that isn't acknowledged or validated by society, which makes it harder for people to openly express their pain. For me, that definition hit home. My wife, Jane, died of leukemia in 2017. In my memoir Ride or Die: Loving Through Tragedy, A Husband's Memoir, I chronicled our ordeal and my own isolation. Being "Jane's husband" became my identity during her illness.
Wouldn't it be great if there was something like this for grieving parents who feel like they're drowning? Well, there is, and it starts with you. Once you've been through what you've been through, you're as much of an "expert" on how to cope with your grief as I am. You've learned so much and now it's time for the final lesson: paying it forward and helping other bereaved parents navigate the long road ahead of them. Who knows this rocky terrain better than you?
Yvonne Miller experienced deep grief after the loss of her son, Christopher B Kelly, to gun violence in 2020. She found solace through the Trauma & Resilience Initiative.
Around one in four pregnancies in the UK end in some form of baby loss - including miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death - according to pregnancy and baby charity Tommy's.
Every week, the Your Local Guardian publishes death notices and funeral announcements from the families of loved ones who have passed away. This serves as a lasting tribute to the memory of those we've lost.