‘Five years is nothing’: Parents explain why Christmas grief after baby loss never fades

Bereaved parents share why Christmas grief never fades and how small, thoughtful gestures can offer real comfort

Lorraine Reilly: 'The first Christmases were very difficult. It felt like a stab in the heart at times.' Picture: Ray Ryan

Every Christmas and New Year, Máirie Cregan feels a sadness shared by ​a​n untold number of people around the country.

It is a sadness that lingers around missing places at a table, fewer presents under ​the Christmas tree, the silence of voices never to be heard and one less person to ring in another year with. To the founding director of Féileacáin, Ireland's national charity supporting parents affected by stillbirths and baby deaths, it’s a sadness that never goes away.