Cooking dinner can be the last thing on your mind when wading through the depths of grief. Bellyful made sure a Dunedin mum had some meals in the freezer to help through the dual emotion of losing one of her twins, and welcoming his brother.
A close friend referred Sasha to Bellyful after she lost one of her twin boys. Surviving twin, Jasper has spent weeks in the Dunedin Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) since his birth.
Sasha says the grief of his loss comes in waves. “Some days we feel okay and other days we are an absolute mess with the ache of missing little Phoenix. On those days specifically, Bellyful meals have been extremely helpful when we can’t bear the thought of moving let alone cooking, but our other children of course still need to eat.”
She says she will always be thankful for the meals Bellyful Dunedin has provided in their difficult time.
During the weeks in the Dunedin NICU with Jasper they have also been able to fill their bellies with some warm Bellyful meals, which are stored on site for whānau in a freezer provided by neonatal support charity The Little Miracles Trust.
“We have been so grateful to also access Bellyful meals here, sometimes our schedule doesn’t align with the café opening hours, so these meals have been a lifesaver, especially while breastfeeding!” Sasha says.
Bellyful meals are available to whānau with babies or young children, who need support, as long as they are in one of our branch areas. This includes anyone who experiences the loss of a baby, partner or child.
This story was originally featured by One Percent Collective.
