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Jacinta’s Smile

Most of us have experienced grief at some point in our lives, and it is hard to overcome. However, the lovely O'Toole family are here to help anyone who needs support during tragic times.

It is amazing how many lives that they have already changed!

Unfortunately, the O'Toole's have experienced their own heartbreak, losing three beloved family members way at young ages.

But they have not let this terrible grief keep them down forever. Instead, they have decided to give back and help others who are experiencing a similar situation.

The family lost 7-year-old Declan to a brain tumour, 30-year-old Jacinta to a brain aneurysm, and 32-year-old Fintan, who was closest to Declan.

In their honour, they started a charity that aims to provide grief-stricken children with a support network as well as an outlet to celebrate their own personal achievements and triumphs.

The charity is called Jacinta’s smile and has already been able to help children and young adults everywhere.

Now, the family is starting a new initiative and joining with other organisations to make counselling services available all throughout Ireland.

They will be offering mentoring services as well, where young members who have been helped by the charity will become a ‘Big Brother/Sister’ to new members.

The Big Brother program is a great way for children who have trouble talking to adults, to open up to and learn from children their age that have been where they are.

And right now, the O’Toole family wants you to be able to partake in their adventure.

All you have to do is send in a postcard. Easy enough, right?

Mail an anonymous postcard with a message to a loved one that you’ve lost. It could be one sentence or 100, depending what you can fit on there.

(Yes, we are talking about old school mailing in the post. The process of describing your feelings and sending it off to somewhere far is a great way to help you heal).

The message can be a photo, a story, or whatever you like.

It is a great way to purge yourself of any held back emotions or feelings of missing out on that one last thing you could’ve said to someone.

On this postcard, you write or draw whatever you want. Imagine you had one more postcard that you could send to someone …what would you say?

Please send postcards to the following address:

#Wish You Were Here
Jacinta’s Smile Headquarters
Vita House
Abbey Street
Roscommon Town
Co. Roscommon
Ireland
F42 N677

All the postcards will be uploaded to the Jacinta's Smile Facebook page

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There are few among us who haven't experienced the death of a loved one, and while we know everyone navigates grief in their own way, as adults we have the capacity to seek understanding, comfort and information from a variety of outlets.

But what if you're a child who has to come to terms with the passing of a sibling?

Having experienced the death of two siblings over the course of 20 years, three sisters from Roscommon decided to establish a charity which aims to provide comfort and support to children who are dealing with the passing of a brother and sister.

In January of last year, Aishleen, Katie-Anne and Charlotte O'Toole were left devastated by the sudden passing of their 30-year-old sister Jacinta from a brain aneurysm, and ultimately began a grieving process which they endured 20 years previously when their brother Declan died at the age of seven.

"When he passed we knew only too well how it felt to be raised and cared for by parents that have lost a child and as brothers and sisters that have lost one of our own," they said of their decision to establish a charity named after their sister.

Jacinta's Smile aims to provide grief-stricken children with a support network as well as an outlet to celebrate their own personal achievements and triumphs.

"We know as adults how important it is to have something to look forward to and to explore our growth so it is imperative that Jacinta’s Smile can offer the children a sense of achievement,belonging and something positive to look forward to," they explained.

Next month, the charity will be bringing groups of children, aged between 8-16, who have lost a sibling to Delphi Mountain Resort in Connemara where they will be celebrated, listen to and supported through a range of fun and engaging activities.

If you know of a child or teenager who would like to take part in next month's activities or simply benefit from the work being done by Jacinta's Smile, you can find out more information here.

 

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