Dealing with the loss of a Child - 'Aaron's Star' book

Since Eastenders recently hit the headlines with their controversial cot death/babyswap story, it seems that absolutely everyone has jumped on the Baby Loss bandwagon, mouthing off about how the programme producers have dealt with it all insensitively and created a story that is totally unrealistic and mentioning how traumatic it is to watch it. As anyone who has actually been there knows, grieving the loss of a baby is one of the hardest things to go through and I actually think Eastenders have done a pretty good job of showing the rollercoaster ride of emotions that Kat and Ronnie are dealing with. One of the hardest things is explaining it all to the older siblings, who will be grieving too and probably understanding a lot more than you think but not knowing how to put it into words. Sophie and Juliette latched on to the idea of "Angel's star" for their sister and it brought a smile to their faces to go and wave at the "new star" in the sky. That's why I love the idea of this new book, written by a grieving father, which may help spread a message of hope to those who need it. More info below ...

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Losing a child is every parent’s worst fear, whether that loss comes in pregnancy, during neo-natal care or in an infant’s early life. Surprisingly, figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rate the UK as being second in the world’s ten worst mortality rates for children under five; and at 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, that’s only marginally better than the USA, with 8.5 deaths per 1,000 live births for children under five.

The grieving process for parents who lose babies or infant children can be nothing less than traumatic and agonising - but for one couple living in Hampshire, England, the tragic loss of one of their twins half-way through an exceptionally difficult pregnancy resulted in a message of consolation and hope for other parents who have lost a beloved child.

To give voice to his grief and share his experiences with a wider world, Roark McMaster, the father of lost baby, Aaron, wrote a book entitled ‘Aaron’s Star’. Principally written for his wife, Aaron’s mother, the book was an attempt to make sense of what had happened to their child and to both of them. More than that, though, ‘Aaron’s Star’ gave the very clear message that Aaron’s life-force lived on after his passing and continued to enrich the lives of his parents.

The book, available now, is written and presented in the format of an illustrated children’s story; and as well as being for Aaron’s mother, it has been written for all those parents who have experienced the loss of a beloved child. ‘Aaron’s Star’ takes the reader on a journey in which Aaron shares a message from his heart, and asks the reader to take his ’message’ into their own life. The book also has space for readers to add their child’s name and to dedicate the book to their child’s memory.

By sharing his story through publication of the book, McMaster hopes to help other parents who are struggling with their loss, so that they too may find hope and understanding from the song of life that Aaron shares with his mother in ‘Aaron’s Star’.

RRP : £9.99 inc P&P

for more information : http://www.cloudninebooks.com/

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Baby Loss Awareness campaign 2010
7 things you didn't know about me - my Meme !