SANDS, a local support group helping families who have experienced the death of a baby held their annual 'Walk to remember' at Cairns Esplanade on Sunday morning.

Around 60 people took part in the event which aimed to deliver the message that the pain and anguish of losing a child can be shared, and those who have experienced this loss are not alone.

Family members were asked to register the name of their baby as part of a moving name reading ceremony (21 names were read out), before strolling a short distance along the Esplanade where helium balloons were released as a tribute to the community's lost children.

In a poignant message from Craig Healey, husband of SANDS coordinator Nerissa, he highlighted that fathers often ignore their own pain in an attempt to appear strong for their families, at their detriment as the weeks, months, and years pass.

And it's not just the parents who are grief stricken when losing a child. Brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunties, were all acknowledged as people affected in traumatic times.

To contact SANDS for support, or to make a donation, please call Nerissa on 4098 3089 or Kelly on 4033 7917. 

Comments: It is easy to focus on the parents' loss when a child dies, however the grief can often be equally felt by other family members.

Some months after losing his nephew to SIDS, my brother said "People often ask me how you're going, but no one ever asks me how I am."

His comments weren't made as a grab for sympathy, but it brought home to me the extent of his suffering having lost someone close to him.

Losing a child affects any number of people, and everyone needs to feel they have support available to them. SANDS is an important part of our community and I urge anyone who has been affected by infant death to contact them.