FirstLight

“𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟏 — 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐡𝐢 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧.” 💙

On May 31st, Caroline Feehily will run in memory of her son Gene and in support of FirstLight at the Vhi Women's Mini Marathon

After Gene’s heartbreaking loss last July, FirstLight supported Caroline and her family through an incredibly difficult time. Now, Caroline is giving back so that other bereaved families can receive that same care and support.

🙏 We are so grateful to Caroline for her courage, love, and generosity.

👉 Please donate if you can, or share this post to help support her fundraiser. https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/carolinefeehily

Every step. Every euro. Every share matters.

Please take a moment to read this powerful and deeply personal story.

Today, we are honoured to be featured in the Irish Independent, sharing a deeply personal story of love, loss and resilience.

Amie Doyle’s courageous account of losing her daughter Áine is both heartbreaking and powerful. By sharing her story so openly, she is helping others feel less alone — and bringing understanding to the reality of grief after the loss of a baby.

At FirstLight, we know that behind every family is a story like this.
As part of our 50th anniversary, we remain committed to ensuring that families have access to compassionate, professional support when they need it most.

👉 You can read the full article here: https://firstlight.ie/losing-a-baby-it-altered-my-life-and-i-will-never-be-the-same-again/

We are so deeply grateful to Amie Doyle for sharing her story so courageously in the Irish Independent

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out.
You are not alone. We are here.

𝟓𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 — 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧?

On Saturday, an Op-Ed by FirstLight’s General Manager, Andrew Mernagh, was published in the Irish Sun. It reflects on a question first asked in Ireland half a century ago — and one that still matters today.

This year marks 50 years of FirstLight, founded from one mother’s determination that no family should face the death of a child alone. That call remains as urgent now as it was then.

In this piece, Andrew speaks to the reality behind bereavement — the trauma, the silence, and the need for a more compassionate and informed response. It is both a reflection and a challenge to all of us: to recognise grief, to acknowledge it, and to support families not just in loss, but in what comes after.

👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞: https://firstlight.ie/after-baby-brendans-death-ireland-was-asked-to-listen-are-we-finally-ready-to-hear/

As we mark 50 years, our leadership commitment is clear: to challenge silence, strengthen support, and ensure that no bereaved family in Ireland is left to face this alone.

We’re very thankful to Dublin Live for taking the time to share a piece about FirstLight and the support we provide to parents after the loss of a child.

For so many mums and dads, reaching out for help is one of the hardest steps — and knowing that calm, compassionate support is there when it’s needed can make such a difference in the early days of grief.
This article helps spread awareness that parents don’t have to face this journey alone, and we’re grateful to Dublin Live for helping to share that message with care and understanding.

💛 You can read the full article here:

'No waiting list' for counselling service for those grieving the loss of a child In 2025 alone, FirstLight received 293 referrals, representing a 26% increase on the previous year, and they are meeting the demands on their services and getting people into counselling in mere weeks