Subj : Good as Gold: The charity helping heal the heartbreak of miscarriage
To   : All
From : News
Date : Thu Jun 13 2024 12:47 pm

By Michael Holland, Seven Sharp Reporter
11:24am

Tauranga mum-of-two Michelle Topham knows the anguish of miscarriage and the
loneliness and the awkwardness of family and friends who don't quite know how
to help.


She also knows that small gestures of kindness - after her Brisbane-based
sister sent her a voucher for a massage and some flowers - can make all the
difference.


"Having that love and care come your way during such a bewildering experience
is something quite special," she told Seven Sharp.


"It's an acknowledgement that the baby you have lost was a real part of you
and that people understand what you are going through."


Her sister's thoughtfulness led Michelle to set up her charity, Massage After
Miscarriage, to show mothers who have suffered a loss during pregnancy that
they are not alone.

"A lot of mothers tell me that simply knowing that others recognise their
situation is just massive," shared Topham.


The goodness of Massage After Miscarriage is showing in its rapid growth,
with mothers in Tauranga, Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown now receiving
support through services and products: massages and nail treatments being top
of the list, donated by local businesses.


"It's all about pampering these mums as best we can, and those who are
donating clearly see the value in reaching out and saying 'we see you, we
know you are there.'"


Thirty-six-year-old Topham said she finds the generosity of donors
heart-warming, particularly in the current economic downturn.


"It's just something I love doing; it fills my cup, yeah, it fills my cup."


Friend Karen Gemmell said: "I think what Michelle's doing is just amazing. It
has resonated with me and is giving loving support to those who need it.


"It's filling a massive gap in the system, a massive gap in the system," she
said.


"You go through a miscarriage, and then you go home and just have to deal
with it. There's very few resources out there to cope with that next stage."

More than 200 mothers have so far received support, and Topham said she aims
to take her service nationwide - a prospect she finds invigorating "and maybe
just a little bit scary".


That goal will be helped by Topham becoming the ASB's latest Good As Gold
recipient, which comes with a $10,000 donation.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64)
 * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102)

.