What is 2 Degrees?

On average, everyone is 6 degrees away from any other person on Earth … some experiences connect us all much more closely.

We believe we are all at best just 2 degrees away from someone who has experienced the death of their baby or child during pregnancy, birth, infancy or childhood. This experience is much closer to us all than we may be aware.

In NSW, over 900 babies died during or soon after birth in just 1 year⁽¹⁾ and around 1 in 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage⁽²⁾. That's a lot of families who won't get to see their son or daughter grow up. A lifetime of dreams lost.

SIDS and Kids NSW provides 24 hour unique and specialised bereavement support services for all parents, siblings and family members. These services may be over the phone, face to face or web-based, depending on individual needs. We have a proud history of raising community awareness and implementing health promotion initiatives focusing on safe pregnancy, safe birth, safe sleeping for infants and safe childhood. We also educate health professionals and the wider community to enable them provide better care for bereaved families.

In order to continue to offer our services free of charge… we need your support!

SIDS and Kids NSW needs to raise $500,000 to fund our bereavement support services, library resources, our internet support forums, one to one counselling, support groups, newsletters and our 24 hour bereavement support line. We also have huge opportunities to expand our education programs across the state.

Your contribution can help us… to help someone… just 2 degrees from you.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of families who have experienced the tragedy of the death of their baby or child.

Why Light a Candle?

October is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, a global expression of sympathy, remembrance and support for those families worldwide who have experienced the tragedy of the death of their baby or child during pregnancy, birth, infancy or childhood. The International Wave of Light occurs on October 15, where participants all around the world light a candle in remembrance at 7pm to form a continuous wave of light around the globe.

Too many families feel locked in silence, afraid to start a conversation, afraid to upset others and alone in their grief. We encourage you to start a conversation, enabling families to share their experience and to gain support from those around them.

For more information please visit www.sidsandkidsnsw.org

1 Australian Mothers & Babies 2007,2008 AIHW Women's Hospitals
2 Australasia "Clinical Practice Guideline" March 2008