Grovedale family honours stillborn son through Walk for Hope for the 12th year

A Grovedale couple made it their mission to help other bereaved families, after their son was tragically stillborn.

Bruce and Janet McMillian with son Lochlan will walk their 12th Hope Bereavement Walk this Sunday in memory of their son Liam who was stillborn. Picture: Brad Fleet

          

Liam McMillian was born sleeping 12 years ago.

Every year since, his parents Bruce and Janet have participated in Geelong’s Walk of Hope.

Mrs McMillian said Liam, who was born on August 3 2012, was “just perfect”.

”At about nine weeks I found out I had kidney disease which was supposed to have an impact on the pregnancy,” she said.

“I was watched and it could have meant I would need to have him early but my kidneys stabilised and I had a pretty good pregnancy.”

But at 38 weeks she found out her baby had died, with no cause identified, and he was born days later.

The Grovedale woman, 47, said she was put in a room away from the maternity ward so they did not have to hear babies crying.

“We were able to stay in hospital for as long as we wanted and this was before cold cots, which they call cuddle cots, so they had to change his ice every few hours to keep him cold,” she said.

Mrs McMillian birthed Liam at St John of God Geelong Hospital.

“It was because of our son, we told them about cuddle cots and they then went and bought their first one,” she said.

A cuddle cot has a temperature controlled mattress and allows a stillborn bub’s body to stay cool, giving parents time with their baby and allowing them to grieve and say goodbye.

“We helped, along with other bereaved parents, raise money to buy one for Geelong hospital,” Mrs McMillan said.

Mrs McMillian said this fundraising was facilitated through Hope Bereavement Care, which hosts the Walk of Hope.

Bruce and Janet McMillian with their rainbow baby Lochlan. Picture: Brad Fleet

“We are a community,” she said.

“It was the midwives who referred me because you don’t think about those things and Hope called me, I don’t think I would have called them.”

Hope is not-for-profit, based in Geelong and offers services including counselling, events and support groups for parents, grandparents and siblings.

“It makes you feel like you’re not alone,” Mrs McMillian said.

“They offer a lot and you can keep going as long as you need and go back too because it doesn’t ever go away.”

Mrs McMillian said Lochlan, who is about to turn 11, was the couple’s rainbow baby.

Rainbow babies are babies born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, naturally caused infant death, named for the “rainbow after the storm”.

“Rainbow babies help bring you back hope so he was our rainbow and as he gets older he understands what that loss is and misses not having a sibling,” she said.

The Walk of Hope begins on Sunday with a short ceremony at 10am followed by a walk from Rippleside Park to Cunningham Pier and back, and a free sausage sizzle to conclude.

It commemorates International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day to honour babies and children who have died.

Free tickets are available at trybooking.com/CUSRN and people can access the Give

Now page at givenow.com.au/bpbp to fundraise.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Grovedale family honours stillborn son through Walk for Hope for the 12th year