Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Majella Crowley. I’m originally from West Cork and now live in Carrigaline with my husband, Donal. We married in 1990 and raised four children, Sean, Katie, Daniel and Alana. Alongside family life, I’ve spent over three decades working in the pharmaceutical industry, including many years in a job‑share Finance Director role, which gave me the flexibility I needed while raising a family.

My connection to Anam Cara began following the death of our son Daniel, who died from leukaemia at just 13. That loss reshaped my life completely and eventually led me to the support that Anam Cara offers bereaved parents.

How did you get involved with Anam Cara?

After Daniel died, I felt utterly lost. I didn’t know a single person who had lost a child, and the isolation was overwhelming. One day, while searching online for guidance, I came across Anam Cara. Shortly afterwards I met with one of the founders, Sharon Vard, who told me about the peer‑to‑peer support meetings.

Attending my first meeting was a turning point. What helped most wasn’t the advice, though that mattered too, but simply seeing other bereaved parents further down the road who were somehow surviving. It gave me hope that I might one day find my footing again. I kept attending for several years before eventually becoming a volunteer parent myself.

What is your role with Anam Cara?

I have two roles.

My first and most meaningful role is as a volunteer parent. I attend our monthly Cork meetings, where bereaved parents can speak openly, listen, or just be present. These gatherings are safe, confidential spaces supported by fellow bereaved parents and a professional facilitator. Sometimes it’s the small things, a quiet conversation over a cup of tea, that make the biggest difference.

My second role is Chairperson of the Board. I joined the board around 2019 and recently took on the Chair role. I help guide governance, strategy and financial sustainability. Like many small charities, we face challenges including rising costs, growing demand and the after-effects of COVID‑19. But there are uplifting moments too. One that stands out was receiving a significant donation from Ulster Bank that helped us avoid a deficit and continue strengthening our services.

I also remember a Musgrave’s event where I met a family Anam Cara had supported years earlier. One of them, now in a senior corporate role, helped choose us as a charity partner. Seeing someone move from being supported to being able to support others was incredibly moving.

In your view, what makes Anam Cara’s support for bereaved parents unique or especially impactful?

The most powerful thing Anam Cara offers is peer support. When Daniel died, I had no roadmap for navigating such grief. But at our meetings, I could see parents further along in their journey, living lives that held both sadness and hope. You learn simply by being alongside them.

Anam Cara provides many supports, remembrance events, online resources, information sessions, but our peer‑to‑peer groups remain the heart of what we do. Again and again, parents tell us these meetings helped them carry something they never believed they could carry alone.

Can you share a moment that stands out during your time on the board?

Aside from the Ulster Bank donation and the Musgrave’s moment, both mentioned above, what stands out most are the quieter, everyday stories; parents who arrive devastated and, over time, begin to breathe again. Seeing that gradual shift, that tiny spark of hope, reminds me why this work matters.

How do you see Anam Cara evolving in the coming years?

I’d like us to secure more stable funding to reduce uncertainty, and to raise awareness so that more families know we exist. Sadly, around 2,000 children die in Ireland each year across all ages, yet many families never hear about Anam Cara at the moment they need it most.

We’re exploring stronger referral pathways, especially through undertakers, since every bereaved family encounters them. My hope is that Anam Cara becomes known more widely, while still keeping compassion and connection at the centre of everything we do.

What would you say to someone considering supporting Anam Cara?

There is no greater love than the love of a child, and no greater loss than the loss of a child. Any support, whether it is volunteering, donating, or simply spreading the word, can make an enormous difference to families living through the unthinkable.

It’s been 12 years since Daniel died. I’ve learned to carry my grief differently, but it will always be part of me. What keeps me going is the chance to walk alongside other parents, just as others once walked alongside me. Through Anam Cara, I can give back what was given to me, and that is an honour.

What can you do to get involved?

Donate today to ensure the vital work of Anam Cara continues to support bereaved parents like Majella in years to come: