It's a collective validation': the group helping Black families cope after baby loss

"When I first started chatting with Gina and Rachel, the founders of Ebony Bonds, I was braced for a painful conversation. Ebony Bonds, founded last year, supports Black families in the UK through bereavement after baby loss. What unfolded was a conversation that was mostly about how to show your love. Rachel Burrell and Gina Reeves were inspired to found Ebony Bonds after experiencing the loss of their babies to stillbirth, and feeling unsupported and not listened to at hospitals and by other care providers."

"Unable to find the specific, tailored resources for support within conventional charities, the duo began with what they thought would be a small gathering. In 2023, they put out the word for a walk and talk for Black parents with similar experiences, and were stunned by the turnout. More than 70 people showed up, including friends and extended families of parents. They all walked for miles together along the River Thames, then ate at a Caribbean restaurant."

"Families just never had a space before to express their loss freely, without judgment, without being moved on, Rachel says. Most importantly, Gina and Rachel noticed similarities in people's stories, and how similarly Black people are being treated. For a lot of women, in particular, their help was validation that they haven't been going crazy. It wasn't [just] them that felt the doctors were off, or the sonographers weren't paying attention to them."

Ebony Bonds formed after founders Rachel Burrell and Gina Reeves lost their babies to stillbirth and experienced dismissal and lack of tailored support from hospitals and care providers. Unable to find culturally specific resources within conventional charities, they organized a 2023 walk-and-talk for Black parents grieving baby loss, which drew over 70 attendees including extended family. The event provided collective validation, allowing families to express loss freely without judgment and to confirm shared experiences of inadequate care. The group identified recurring patterns of neglect and miscommunication in maternity services, especially affecting women, and recognized a persistent demand for culturally responsive bereavement spaces.

Read at www.theguardian.com