Jenny Jacobs – Parent Support Volunteer

Jenny Jacobs began volunteering with A Little Lifetime in October 2024. Originally from Rathfarnham, she spent many years living abroad — two years in Rome followed by a decade in the UK. She started her career as a history teacher before moving into careers guidance, but after the loss of her daughter Cara, she chose not to return to working in schools.

Jenny and her husband welcomed their first daughter, Maeve, in 2019. They then experienced two missed miscarriages before Cara was stillborn at 39 weeks on New Year’s Day 2022. Another missed miscarriage followed, and in 2023 they moved back home to Dublin, where they set up a family business selling aviation and pilot supplies. In 2024, they welcomed their rainbow baby, Éala.

When Jenny lost Cara, she was still living abroad, yet A Little Lifetime embraced her with warmth and understanding. The charity connected her with people who understood the Irish context of pregnancy and baby loss and who shared the same language of grief. The support she received during those darkest days carried her through, and now that she is stronger, she feels compelled to give back.

For Jenny, supporting families through baby loss means being present long after the initial shock has passed. In the early days, many parents are surrounded by compassionate care — from family, bereavement midwives and hospital staff — but as the months and years move on, the world often expects them to move on too. Jenny knows how isolating that can feel, and she values the steady, ongoing support that A Little Lifetime provides during those quieter, lonelier phases of grief.

You’ll often see Jenny at A Little Lifetime events throughout the year, including the Glasnevin services and the Christmas Remembrance Service. She also helps with fundraising initiatives such as the pop‑up communion shop and has represented the charity at the National Maternity Hospital Remembrance Service and at bereavement information events run by the Irish Hospice Foundation.

What Jenny cherishes most about volunteering is that love does not end when a baby dies — the desire to parent them remains. Over time, parents find new and meaningful ways to do that. For Jenny, the time she spends volunteering is time she spends with Cara, and one of the ways she parents her. She loves hearing families speak about their babies with pride, and she treasures being in a space where Cara’s name — and every baby’s name — is welcomed and honoured. Though it’s a community no one ever wishes to join, she describes it as one of the most compassionate and understanding groups she has ever been part of.

A moment that stands out for Jenny is attending the Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Glasnevin for the first time. She was deeply moved by the large crowd and by meeting people who had been coming for years. It was a powerful reminder that, no matter how life changes or how much time passes, the love we have for our children and siblings never fades. We carry them with us always.

A piece of writing that holds special meaning for Jenny is a line from Christy Kenneally’s poem Dear Parents, which was read at Cara’s funeral:

“There are many
Who have lived long lives
And who have not been loved as me.”

These words have stayed with her, helping her make sense of the depth of grief for a baby she held for such a short time. Cara’s life was brief, yet her impact continues to be enormous. Jenny’s volunteering is part of that impact too — a way of honouring Cara’s life and ensuring her love reaches others. In many ways, the work Jenny does now continues what her daughter began.