Community Advisory Committee

Nicole has been involved with Sands since her first child, son Nicholas, was stillborn in 2006. Nicole has held many roles including Chairperson of Sands Queensland. She has attended many events, overseen the running of others, and remains an active and supportive member of the organisation. In her professional life, Nicole provides strategic stakeholder engagement, government relations and communications advice through her company, Nicole Ireland Communications.

Nicole says, “As a long-time member of the Sands family and a passionate advocate for our grass roots activities, I am delighted the Board of Red Nose, including Sands, has endorsed the formation of the Community Advisory Committee. I feel honoured and privileged to chair this Committee as I truly value the collective support of bereaved parents and the community we have created, and will continue to grow, together. To me, this Committee provides a strong link between this community of bereaved parents from both Red Nose and Sands right across the country to the broader organisation and to our external stakeholders. I believe we have a fantastic opportunity to share best practice events, ideas and programs to support our community and ensure everyone remains connected, engaged and included – and to make sure that all bereaved parents, including those who will unfortunately join our community in the future, will be able to access the care and support they deserve.”

Based in New South Wales, Edwina is a dedicated volunteer peer supporter at Red Nose, and brings over a decade of experience in project planning, management, and strategic communications.

Edwina is a passionate advocate for community representation, drawing on her lived experience and professional expertise to amplify underrepresented voices. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the importance of cultural sensitivity, accessibility, and equity in communication. She has actively contributed to multiple Red Nose campaigns, ensuring that messaging reflects the richness and diversity of the communities Red Nose serves.

Anna is a bereaved parent from Victoria, following the loss of her son Mickey who was stillborn in 2023. Throughout this experience, Anna has leant on the support of loved ones and valued Red Nose for holding a unique space for bereaved parents.

While support can take many shapes and forms, it begins with compassion and understanding. Anna is passionate about community education, so that parents and their supporters can honour their children, cope with their grief and learn to live alongside their loss.

Anna hopes to help make a difference for those experiencing the most challenging of times.

Anastasia Auld is a bereaved parent from Victoria. Anastasia experienced the loss of her baby girl, Aphina, at full term. This experience shaped her life towards a career in the perinatal space.

Anastasia is a registered counsellor and psychotherapist with experience supporting diverse communities through volunteering with Griefline and working as a mental health coach for Beyond Blue. Anastasia’s own multicultural background and growing up in Russia, brings a unique perspective to grief, pregnancy loss and community engagement.

She believes that nothing is more important than offering support to those during their darkest times by bringing kindness and compassion to the table.

Giving back to the community reflects one of Anastasia’s core values.

Emalynne is a bereaved parent from NSW. Her first born child, Annabelle Catalina was stillborn in 2012 and Emalynne subsequently experienced an early miscarriage in 2013. Emalynne’s connection to Red Nose began when she attended counselling and joined support groups. The connection has continued through volunteering for Heart Strings and as a Red Nose Peer Supporter. Professionally, she is a psychologist and currently works in public health focusing on building the clinical capacity of mental health services in working with individuals from refugee and migrant experiences. Through her professional and personal experience, Emalynne feels privileged to bring voice to diverse communities as a member of the community advisory committee.

Ari Magalhaes is a bereaved parent from Tasmania. Ari experienced the 2019 and 2020 stillbirths of daughters Mia and Lily due to a genetic condition.

Originally from Brazil and educated in Europe, Ari is an economist with a Masters’ Degree in International Management. She has been highly engaged with local not for profits in Tasmania.

Ari has been engaged with Red Nose and Sands remotely and is thoughtful about way that we can be more engaged with people in communities like Tasmania where we don’t currently have any paid team members.

Bonnie Carter (OAM) is a bereaved parent from the ACT. Bonnie tragically experienced the stillbirth of Grace in 2016 and then Matilda in 2017, and has also experienced early pregnancy loss.

Bonnie and her husband have been active in advocacy through the stillbirth inquiry and community events through Red Nose, local family led initiatives. Bonnie’s key interest is holding space for bereaved families in the community. Drawing on her experience as Assistant Director in DFAT’s Diversity and Inclusion space, Bonnie believes there are small, but meaningful steps to make our community activities more inclusive.