“It’s important and nourishing for you to publicly say the name of your precious child again and again. Though they have passed, our love will never cease.”
Paul - Bernadette's dad
When you ask musician, former frontman of 80’s band The Cockroaches and former GM of The Wiggles - Paul Field to speak about his children, his eyes easily tell the story from the moment each of his five children were born, through to childhood and the proud occasions and milestones achieved from their teenage through to adult years.
Paul pauses with a tear welling when he lovingly speaks and remembers beautiful baby Bernadette, his second child and niece to Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field.
Heartbreakingly, Bernadette died from SIDS in 1988 at just seven and a half months old.
“I have four other children, and two have had children. I’ve missed all of that with Bernadette,” says Paul.
In a recent post on his Instagram, Paul posted a beautiful and loving tribute to Bernadette who would’ve been 36 years old in January this year.
“And the sky is a coat of diamonds
There’s a wooden cross over my bed
The city is lit with candles
They’re shining for you Bernadette.”
And Bernadette’s special and shining legacy is her family’s drive in raising awareness and funds for Red Nose, tirelessly campaigning for the reduction of the national sudden and unexpected infant death rate.
Paul and wife Pauline’s support to Red Nose spans across the 36 years since the organisation began and together, they have dedicated thousands of hours to research, education and support.
This year they will be participating in Red Nose’s Say Their Name Day on Monday 25 March – a day of remembrance and connection intended to help reduce the stigma of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, baby and child death demonstrating that every baby matters and deserves to be remembered. Bereaved familes often share that they want to say their baby's name and to hear it said by others.
“It’s important and nourishing for you to publicly say the name of your precious child again and again. Though they have passed, our love will never cease,” says Paul.
“Pauline and I will be participating in this very special day where we remember Bernadette.
We think of her everyday - her first words, her gorgeous face and we also think of what she’d grow up doing, if she’d take up singing like her Uncle and I, what concerts we’d be going to, where we’d take her on holidays, everything a parent would want for their child,” says Paul.
Paul’s long-term support of Red Nose also brings on board uncle and Blue Wiggle Anthony, The Wiggles themselves, the talented production crew and team to join the Red Nose family.
As one Wiggles’ staff member once told us: “There is an incredibly special and deeply personal reason behind what we do, and why we do it.”
The Wiggles have played a major role in helping Red Nose raise awareness of our Safe Sleeping education campaign, which has been instrumental in reducing SIDS in Australia by an incredible 80 per cent, saving more than 10,000 lives.
“The help and support we’ve received through Red Nose has been invaluable. Through their safe sleeping campaign and continued research, thousands of babies’ lives have been saved,” says Paul.
As the face of Red Nose’s Fathers of Loss program – a resource for dads who’ve lost a baby or child, Paul encourages fathers and all parents who have lost their little one to participate in Say Their Name Day.
“Say Their Name Day is a day for the whole community to demonstrate that every little life matters and deserves to be celebrated, and that bereaved families are deserving of all the support we can give,” says Paul.
Say Their Name Day is on March 25 – a special day to remember all of the little lives we have loved and lost, and support bereaved families.
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