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About Bloss

 

About Bloss

At Bloss, we recognise and respect the personal and emotional journey that comes with the loss of a baby.

At Bloss, we understand the profound pain and heartbreak that families experience when they lose a baby. We want you to know that you are not alone in your grief.

In Australia, the loss of a baby through stillbirth or neonatal death affects around 3000 families each year.

Additionally, miscarriages impact up to one in four pregnancies, leaving approximately 103,000 Australian families grappling with the loss of a baby annually.

Founded in May 2018, Bloss is a beacon of hope for families in our local community who have faced the unimaginable loss of a baby.

Our dedicated committee, established in 2018 and officially registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission in 2019, is committed to providing practical support and fostering a growing, supportive community for bereaved families.

Since our inception, we have expanded our network of support services and volunteers, organised annual Remembrance Walk events, and offered a range of support services to help families navigate their grief journey.

As we look to the future, Bloss remains dedicated to enhancing our support services and expanding our network to reach even more families in need. We are here to walk alongside you, offering understanding, compassion, and a safe space to remember and honour the precious babies who have touched our lives.

Together, we can find strength in community and support one another through the most challenging of times.

Katie Francis

Bloss Events–Operations Coordinator

Katie, grew up in Downside, NSW (just outside of Wagga Wagga NSW), on a farm with her family, travelled around a bit and now lives in Coolamon NSW.

Katie has primarily worked in community organisations (government and not for profit) supporting vulnerable families with support needs for Justice, family support and disability. She lives with her partner Damien and children Thomas (b 2008) and Piper (b 2017). They have another daughter Lara, who was stillborn on 19th July 2016. Lara was born at 27+3 weeks gestation. We found out the day prior that she had died after calling our OB for a check up as Katie hadn’t been feeling well for a few days. Hearing those words … I’m sorry your baby has died, are the most devastating words we have ever heard. Katie was induced to naturally deliver Lara into the world. After Lara was stillborn, we were devastated, not really knowing anyone else who had experienced this heartbreaking loss and what they needed to do or how to support themselves and their family.

It was all a blur of distraught and heartbreak. We later found out from our Autopsy, that Lara had an issue with her umbilical cord, where it was hyper coiled and one section that had thinned significantly to likely cut off her supply to survive. There are limits to how the cord could be monitored during pregnancy, so was unlikely to have been another outcome for Lara.

Although it raised the issue of knowing to speak up when any changes in movement and feeling occur, a thought that repeats over and over in my head. You just don’t know what you need to know until it’s too late. Many myths are now busted and it is encouraged to always ask if you aren’t sure.

At the time of Lara’s death, we felt supported by the people around us as best that they could, but they had their limit to knowing information we were asking for, we had a huge hole and emptiness on wondering what other supports might be available to help with the process of baby loss and later thoughts on moments we had missed with our baby.

Katie went searching for support and remembered about the comfort remembrance bear she was given at the hospital. This bear had a name on it “Ruby Louise” and in speaking with a friend about this bear, we discovered that Ruby’s mum and I both knew this mutual friend. Ruby’s mother is Megan Gaffney who had provided some remembrance bears to the hospital to support other families after she lost her baby Ruby. Megan and I met, and it was such a special support to connect. Katie and Megan then went in search of more support and were organising a remembrance walk for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, and attending a coffee group to support bereaved parents, where they met Anna McRorie & Ruth Hutchins. Through this a special bond was formed with 4 women who had all lost their baby girls and wanted to support each other and others. There were no other local services operating and no other larger organisations that could provide ongoing support to our regional area. This is where Bloss was created.

Sharon Jones

Bloss General Member

Sharon lost Joshua Caleb in May 2000. She was ten weeks pregnant. He was very much wanted and loved. Joshua’s father had broken their engagement a few weeks before. Sharon’s family and friends told her to forget about Joshua, not talk about him ever and move on. Sharon thought that there was something wrong with her because, even though her loss was early she wanted to shout from the rooftops that Joshua existed.

Sharon struggled alone for years in her grief not sharing her story. Sharon has only started sharing about Joshua more openly in the last few years and that is due to her involvement with BLOSS. It has opened avenues for others to share with her their pregnancy loss journey whether it be an early pregnancy loss, late pregnancy loss or a neonatal loss.

What does BLOSS mean to me?

Having a local support group like BLOSS is a wonderful thing for our area. The group is so welcoming to everyone regardless of the type of loss you have had. From early pregnancy loss to late pregnancy losses and everything in between, our babies, feelings and families are always valued and respected.

It is great having a place to talk about our babies and not to feel like it’s a taboo subject.

My role?

I am on the BLOSS committee and love helping out at the events we hold during the year.

We also have a group of volunteers who are called “Friends of BLOSS”. This is a group of volunteers support Bloss & the Bloss committee & assist with events & activities such as coffee catch ups, remembrance events, Bereaved Mother’s and Father’s Day events, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, Say Their Name Day, care packs.

Some of the volunteer roles are selling raffle tickets at events, helping with set up/pack up/organising the event, and helping with any shopping needed.

Anna McRorie

Bloss Secretary

In June 2015 my life was torn apart when my uterus ruptured while giving birth to my second child, a baby girl named Dakota. Dakota was put on life support immediately after being born, however, she had suffered extensive brain damage, and after discussions with the pediatrician looking after her, we made the devastating choice to turn it off and let her go. Dakota was so perfect. In the time we spent with her after her death it was hard to believe she wouldn’t just wake up. Dakota was born in Wodonga, and I was incredibly grateful to have the support of the border baby loss group, who provided me with a beautiful box of special keepsakes which I still treasure to this day. I remember going to one of their support groups and just bursting into tears. Everyone was so kind and understood how I was feeling in a way that only those who have been through something similar can.

When I moved to Wagga I started looking for a similar group, and was surprised to find that there were very few supports available for bereaved parents in the area. I had a miscarriage in April 2017, which was another heartbreaking experience. Through my contact with a national charity, I was put in touch with Katie and Megan, and we later went on to form Bloss with Ruth. It means a lot to me that we are now able to provide memory boxes and supports to other families who have lost a baby. I have two living children, Paxton and Amari, and together with our friends and family we keep Dakota’s memory alive, and celebrate her little life, which has made a big impact.

Jack Hillis

Bloss President

I became involved with Bloss after my wife and I lost our 3rd son Hugo. Hugo passed away from a rare condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart. Hugo passed away in our arms in Westmead Children’s Hospital in August 2019. My wife and I had a lot of support from charities and support workers in Sydney and it wasnt that until we arrived back in Wagga we soon realised that regional families get nowhere near the same levels of support that grieving families receive in the major cities.

My First Interactions with Bloss were once we returned home from Westmead Hospital. A wonderful young lady arrived on our doorstep, with a gift pack and a warm hug. She came into our house, which honestly looked like a warzone scattered with bunches of flowers and sat down with my wife and just held her hand.

She didn’t say much, she just sat there and supported my wife. She passed along a gift pack and after a couple of hours she left and I clearly remember her saying if you need anything just ring, ill be straight over.This was our first interaction with Bloss, and I remember asking my wife, who is Bloss, I haven’t heard of them, she followed with “they’re a charity that support mums who have experienced what we have”I still clearly remember seeing her sitting with my wife at the dining table and both of them having tears streaming down their faces while my wife was telling her what had happened.

Little did I know that that member of Bloss had her own story to tell, and for her to sit there and listen to our story would have been bringing up horrible memories of her own… that in itself I still find remarkable that someone has the strength to do that. From that day onwards, I wanted to be a part of this wonderful organisation and hopefully instil the strength and hope for other families who have experienced baby loss in the Riverina.

Our Board

Our Board

Bloss Team
  • Jack Hillis

    President
  • Ruth Hutchins

    Vice President
  • Anna McRorie

    Secretary
  • Linda Moncrieff

    Treasurer
  • Katie Francis

    Operations & Community Development Coordinator
  • Sharon Jones

    General Member
  • Melissa Carnie

    General Member
  • Wendy Smallwood

    General Member
  • Jack Hillis

    President
  • Ruth Hutchins

    Vice President
  • Anna McRorie

    Secretary
  • Linda Moncrieff

    Treasurer
  • Katie Francis

    Operations & Community Development Coordinator
  • Sharon Jones

    General Member
  • Melissa Carnie

    General Member
  • Wendy Smallwood

    General Member