Glenn: Father to Jack

Strong on the Outside, Broken Inside: Glenn’s Experience of Child Loss

Glenn opens up about the heartbreak of losing his baby boy, Jack, who died at just 25 days old in 1987. The moment he received the call to rush home, everything changed. The dreams he and his family held for Jack vanished in an instant. Life would never be the same again.

Glenn speaks honestly about the emotional turmoil that followed. He found himself reassessing everything: his identity, his role in the family, and what it meant to be a grieving father. Early on, a letter from another bereaved parent helped him realise that grief wasn’t something that would pass quickly. Instead, he and his family were only at the beginning of a long and winding journey of grief.

Glenn reflects on the lasting weight of child loss and the quiet, often invisible pain many fathers carry. He talks about the pressure to be the strong one. He felt the duty to go to work, be the protecter and keep going. But inside, he felt like he was bleeding. Holding it together for his family came at a cost.

He also shares how even his young children carried their own grief, including feelings of guilt. And how, all these years later, Jack is still lovingly remembered by his siblings.

Red Nose is committed to supporting families navigating the complexities of the loss of a baby or child. To access our specialised bereavement support including: counselling, peer support programs, support groups, and resources tailored to individual needs, click here.