A football club for grieving fathers
- 4 years ago
The Sands United football team members are all fathers who are grieving their stillborn babies.
Dan had a good job and a happy relationship; the only thing missing in his life was a child. One year ago, his daughter died shortly before being born. The Sands United football club has helped him grieve, as all team members share the same tragedy.
The club’s members also share Dan Perez's experiences following the stillbirth. He devoted himself to supporting his partner’s grieving process, but once she was doing better, Dan crashed. He experienced panic attacks and depression, as well as the feeling that no one understood his pain – he saw that society expects men to be strong and limit their feelings, and many could not grasp the loss of a child who hadn't even entered this world. At Sands United, things are different. Each game starts with a minute of silence, and the players score goals in the name of the children they have lost — for Hallie, Macie, Freddie, and many others. A report by Birgit Maass.
Dan had a good job and a happy relationship; the only thing missing in his life was a child. One year ago, his daughter died shortly before being born. The Sands United football club has helped him grieve, as all team members share the same tragedy.
The club’s members also share Dan Perez's experiences following the stillbirth. He devoted himself to supporting his partner’s grieving process, but once she was doing better, Dan crashed. He experienced panic attacks and depression, as well as the feeling that no one understood his pain – he saw that society expects men to be strong and limit their feelings, and many could not grasp the loss of a child who hadn't even entered this world. At Sands United, things are different. Each game starts with a minute of silence, and the players score goals in the name of the children they have lost — for Hallie, Macie, Freddie, and many others. A report by Birgit Maass.