I’m Asiya, and I’ve been volunteering for Sands Roundtable for around two years.

Prior to that I’d been using social media to raise the profile of baby loss in the South Asian Community. Baby and pregnancy loss can be a bit of a taboo subject. It’s not talked about, and people brush it under the carpet.

I wanted to get people talking about it, and normalise it, showing people that if affects the South Asian community too. I was invited to be part of the round table to keep raising my voice in this way.

Over the two years I’ve been part of the group, we’ve helped to feed in the voice of South Asian parents to Sands’ work. We were part of the Listening Project, where we shared our experiences and encouraged others from our community to get involved, increasing the number and range of voices that were heard.

We were interviewed by the BBC and have supported Sands to put on events that support the South Asian community, providing a safe space for people to meet other parents and share their experiences.

We make sure the voices of bereaved parents from the South Asian community are heard, and feed into everything Sands does. We make sure that Sands’ bereavement support is suitable for all, and accessible to people in the South Asian community. We provide feedback and constructive thought on what Sands can do better to reach out to and represent every community.

My photo is now on the Sands website, which might be a small thing, but it is so important for people to see people who look like them. Including the stories and images of bereaved families from South Asian communities shows people that pregnancy and baby loss happens to everyone, and that it’s ok to talk about it and seek out support.

Being part of the community is so rewarding. I know I am part of making change happen and amplifying the voices of bereaved parents from my community. Above all, I just want people to talk about pregnancy and baby loss in the South Asian community, and to normalise it.

I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me how grateful they are for me sharing my story, and I’m proud to be part of making that change happen.

Asiya has also spoken about Navigating Ramadan and Eid as a bereaved mother following multiple miscarriages.

We recognise the need for tailored support for South Asian parents, family members and others to be able to turn to. That is why we have created a dedicated space for South Asian Communities. Support for South Asian communities.