The stories behind the names
Every name shared tells a story of a life cut short – a son or daughter forever loved and forever missed.
Carolyn's Story
Jade and her daughter Casey
“One of the hardest things was managing other people’s reactions to the literally unspeakable thing that had happened. I slowly met with the friends who were brave enough to face me; several were incredible, listening to our birth story, saying Casey’s name, sending cards and gifts with her name on in the weeks and months afterwards. “It helps us to be able to say her name, and it helps to feel like we might raise awareness that this happens far more often than it should, and people need to be able to talk about it. The more awareness, the less likely it is to keep happening.”
Adam and his son Alfie
“I still feel there is a lack of awareness to the grief attached to this, particularly
from the perspective of the Dad, but also for the Mum. Speaking helps. And
through reading others’ experiences, it has made me feel more comfort and
more grateful for the couple of hours we shared with Alfie.
“We decided that we didn’t want to associate Alfie with sadness and wanted
to do positive things in Alfie’s name to create a positive legacy for him.”
Síofra and her daughter Saorlaith
“I think so many people around you at times of loss feel that they shouldn’t
talk to you about the person who has died because it may make you sad and
more upset.
“I found the opposite to be true. I love hearing people speak Saorlaith’s name,
I love talking about her and there is not a day that goes by where she is not
spoken of by us and by our families. We feel her energy around us always.”
Naveen and her daughter Sophia
“After the initial days, I felt like I was expected to ‘move on’ and be happy again. And for some reason that meant people stopped mentioning Sophia’s name or remembering her with me.
"Just before Sophia’s second birthday we raised money and awareness for Say Their Name Day in Sydney. It was the first time I had one of those little tiles from Instagram with her name on it, it felt like I had a reason to share her name again, to say it out loud with other bereaved mums who must be aching to say their babies' names. I remember thinking, how simple it was, just a day to honour the ones who died. And how much significance it holds for someone who doesn’t get to hear that name."
Danny and his Mum – a story shared from Australia
“We moved to Australia in 2021, but it’s fantastic knowing that Sands are launching the first Say Their Name Day in the UK, following the Say Their Name Day that’s been running in Australia since 2019.
“As Danny’s mum, it’s important for me to be able to say his name as a way of honouring him and keeping him a part of our family. In particular, it’s been important that Danny's siblings can talk about him and ask questions about him by name."
