Suzanne Dineen’s only child Aisling died at the age of 25 as a result of undiagnosed cardiomyopathy in May 2015, plunging her into grief.
“She’d just started a new job and was a typical young person – she loved going out and going on holidays,” said Ms Dineen, who lives in Togher and works for Apple.
When a friend suggested that she might benefit from Anam Cara, an all-island charity which supports other parents who have lost a child, Ms Dineen said attending meetings was the first time she felt understood since Aisling’s death.
“I still go every month and now I work as a volunteer parent. Sharing with others is what worked for me and Anam Cara is very important to me,” she said.
“There were some days I didn’t want to put my head outside the door. I didn’t want to see anyone. Even doing the grocery shopping, I would go to the other side of the city because I didn’t want to meet my neighbours.
“You ask yourself ‘am I going mad?’ Other mams or dads who have gone through this get it.
“I only started sharing and opening up after about two and a half years and sharing things I wouldn’t have dreamed of sharing with others.
“My grief will always be the same, but I have learned to manage it a lot better. When I do feel overwhelmed, I can pick up the phone to any of the other parents in the WhatsApp group – we help each other.
“I know it’s a big step and it’s a step nobody ever wants to take but once you go to an Anam Cara meeting nobody is under pressure. If you don’t want to talk, that’s OK too,” she said.
Anam Cara’s vision is to have a society where no bereaved parent has to grieve alone and all families who experience the death of a child meet with understanding, support and compassion.
According to psychotherapist Felicity Connolly, facilitator of the west Cork Anam Cara support group, parents say that when they come to the meetings, there is something different about talking to people who have walked the same path.
Article written by Joe O’Shea and first appeared in Cork Beo on 5th March 2026
Grieving Cork Mother speaks of solace she found with support group for bereaved parents | Cork Beo