A Laois couple were invited to Áras an Uachtaráin last week by Mrs Sabrina Higgins, having raised thousands for a child bereavement charity.

Mountmellick couple Edward and Eleanor Duff sadly lost their infant son James to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1980. Since then, the couple have fundraised over €50,000 for FirstLight, a trauma-response charity that supports families who have lost a child between the ages of 0-18 months.

On Friday, November 7, the bereaved parents joined twenty-four other families at a gathering hosted by Mrs Sabina Higgins, patron of the charity FirstLight, at Áras an Uachtaráin.

Pictured: Eleanor and Edward Duff from Mountmellick, Co. Laois, recently attended the official launch of the 50th Anniversary of the national charity FirstLight, previously known as the Irish Sudden Infant Death Association. The event took place on Friday, November 7, and the couple had the opportunity to meet the charity's patron, Sabina Higgins. 

Eimear Berry, the founder of FirstLight, also known as the Irish Sudden Infant Death Association (ISIDA), was also present at the event, having established the charity in 1976 after experiencing the tragic loss of her son, Brendan, to cot death (SIDS) in November 1975.

The morning provided an important opportunity for bereaved parents, including Edward and Eleanor Duff, to honour the memories of their babies and children and to reflect on the estimated 8,000 families that the charity has supported since its inception in 1976. 

Edward and Eleanor Duff welcomed their beautiful baby boy, James, into the world on Monday, July 28th, 1980.  Tragically, James passed away on Sunday, December 14th, 1980, due to SIDS, leaving his parents and his two-year-old sister Edwina feeling as if their entire world had crumbled.

Pictured: Eleanor Duff from Mountmellick embraces Sabina Higgins at Áras event

Over 45 years later, Eleanor still vividly recalls the visit to their home from ISIDA founder Eimear Berry after James’s death and the immense support that they received from Eimear and the ISIDA community during that difficult time.

In memory of their son James, Eleanor and Edward have engaged in remarkable fundraising efforts for FirstLight. This includes their annual church gate collection in their hometown of Mountmellick, as well as selling Christmas cards. It is estimated that over these years, they have raised more than €50,000 in James’s memory to support FirstLight.

Six years after James’s passing, the Duffs welcomed a second son, John, and 45 years later, they have six wonderful grandchildren, all of whom know about their uncle James, always in our hearts.

FirstLight’s CEO, Jennifer McCarthy Flynn, expressed heartfelt thanks to Mrs Higgins and her remarkable team at the Áras, acknowledging their generous hospitality during such a busy week as the President’s term came to an end.

Pictured: the delegation presented the ISIDA Memory Patch Quilt to Sabina Higgins, a special tribute commemorating the charity's 25th Anniversary. This quilt will be proudly displayed at the FirstLight head office in Carmichael, Ireland, as part of the festivities for its 50th Anniversary. 

“Mrs. Higgins has been an invaluable patron of FirstLight for the past decade, and we are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and commitment she has shown to our charity, which has profoundly impacted our mission," she said.

“This event highlighted our fifty-year journey from a peer support service to a trauma-informed crisis intervention and psychotherapy provider, assisting parents and families who have experienced pregnancy loss or the death of their child.

"Since 2015, FirstLight has experienced an incredible 480% increase in referrals to its services and this year alone we have delivered over 3,300 hours of free crisis intervention and psychotherapy to more than 324 bereaved parents and families across Ireland," Ms McCarthy Flynn said.

FirstLight will acknowledge and remember the 8,000 families it has supported across the last fifty years, through pregnancy loss or the death of their child.

Pictured: The Duffs with Mrs Sabina Higgins and FirstLight Chairperson Oliver Blackwell

The charity say that they would love to hear from families they have worked with and encourage anyone interested to contact them.

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