In loving memory of Amara Lily Joy Garner

In honour of Amara, and all babies gone too soon

This page is in honour of our daughter, Amara, who was born and died on October 14th, 2024, from a rare genetic condition. Losing her has been the most devastating experience of our lives.

Amara was conceived naturally and without difficulty. We had completed all recommended pre-pregnancy genetic carrier screening. Her diagnosis was not identifiable or preventable using current evidence-based screening practices.

After her death, we made the decision to pursue IVF - not for fertility reasons - but to reduce the risk of recurrence in future pregnancies and to reduce the risk for our family members yet to have children. This distinction matters, as IVF is often assumed to imply infertility, an assumption that quietly erases Amara’s story and the reality of why we are here.

Pregnancy after loss is not joyful in the way people expect. It is layered with fear, grief, vigilance, and fragile hope. This baby shower is not just a celebration of the baby we are expecting, it is also an acknowledgement of the entire journey that brought us here, including the daughter we never had the chance to celebrate.

One of the most isolating aspects of baby and infant loss is the silence that surrounds it. Society rarely speaks about it, and that silence leaves grieving parents carrying their loss alone. When no one else knew your baby, there is no shared memory, but for us, Amara is present every day, in ways both visible and unseen.

Red Nose supports families living with this kind of loss - not just in the immediate aftermath, but in the long years that follow, when the world expects grief to have an endpoint. This is grief that lasts a lifetime.

Each year, families across Sydney gather to remember their babies and children who have died. Some have been attending this service for more than 25 years. What began under the care of Deb De Wilde now continues through Red Nose, and it remains an essential space for remembrance, recognition, and connection. We have attended for the past two years, and this will remain part of how we honour Amara in the years ahead.

By donating, you are helping Red Nose continue this work, supporting families like ours, and ensuring that babies like Amara are remembered, spoken about, and honoured.

Thank you for holding space for our little girl, and for your generosity in supporting Red Nose. 

With love and gratitude,
Andrea and James