A grieving father hopes sharing his experience of losing children will encourage grieving fathers to open up.
“As men, it’s almost programmed into us that we have to be the strong male character who isn’t influenced by anything,” said truck driver Wayne Campbell, 40.
“If you bottle things, believe me, it will do more harm than good.”
Mr. Campbell told his story while working for a charity.
Pregnancy and baby loss organization Tommy’s has launched a dedicated website to offer dads and partners extra help, directing them to real-life information and accounts.
The hub for fathers and partners is tailored to the challenges that arise at each stage of pregnancy, the charity says.
In the resource, Mr. Campbell and his wife Amy Campbell, 34, explain their experience of losing two babies in the space of a year.
The Rugby, Warwickshire couple lost their son Grayson to a late miscarriage and Mr Campbell documented the couple’s final moments with daughter Piper in 2020, describing the process it took to bring about a miscarriage after a scan showed that she had no heartbeat.
Videos he posted online have been viewed by thousands of people.
Advising other fathers not to hide their feelings or be afraid to cry, he said: “Never be afraid to talk about the loss of a baby or toddler [because] You will always be amazed how many men suffer in silence and don’t know how to approach anyone.
The couple have since given birth to a healthy baby boy under the care of Tommy’s National Center for Miscarriage Research clinic in Coventry.
However, Ms Campbell said she recently lost another baby.
“It’s such a taboo subject, no one ever seems to talk about it, but so many people have been through it,” she explained.
She added that she hopes to “help even just one person, so they know they’re not alone in their feelings.”
Mr Campbell said: “Failing to communicate with your partner can make it appear as if you are unaffected and this can create a rift between you.
“Just remember that you are not alone.”
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