21 Years Healing Hearts in the Midst of Grief: Pastoral Care for Families After Stillbirth in Geelong

For over 20 years, grieving parents in Geelong have found comfort through compassionate support during one of life’s most difficult experiences: the loss of a baby.

The Pastoral Healthcare Network Australia (PHNA) has been providing vital grief support and bereavement care to families who have experienced stillbirth, miscarriage or loss, helping them navigate the emotional journey of healing.

This year, PHNA celebrates 21 years of service to the Geelong community, offering care that goes beyond hospital walls.

Founded by midwife Leonie Rastas and a team of volunteer nurses and health ministry associates, PHNA was created to support people experiencing grief, loss, social isolation and bereavement.

"We served people who were experiencing social isolation, grief, loss and bereavement,” Leonie says. “It was taking pastoral care beyond the hospital walls.”

One of the organisation’s most heartfelt initiatives has been the introduction of hand-knitted hearts and shawls in midwifery units.

When words are hard to find shawls and pocket hearts can do the talking

Parents who have lost a baby can wrap their child in a soft shawl and place a small knitted heart in their hands — a tangible, comforting symbol of love and remembrance that families treasure for years.

PHNA also works closely with local hospitals and community health programs, including Geelong Hospital and the Barwon Health Hospital in the Home program, providing ongoing emotional and practical support to families in need.

To celebrate this milestone, PHNA released an illustrated book documenting its work, published by Sacred Heart College Geelong, highlighting two decades of compassionate care, volunteer dedication and the impact of pastoral healthcare in supporting families through grief.

Through small but meaningful acts of kindness, the Pastoral Healthcare Network Australia continues to help families heal after stillbirth and bereavement, proving that love, care and community support can make a profound difference in even the darkest times.