Andy is part of our North America team and is the resident Canadian admin member for Daddys with Angels. He assists Michael Hoehne in the North American chapter of the group.

 

Seven years ago, his wife was expecting what they both thought was their rainbow after many years and five miscarriages. His son Daniel was, however, born too premature to survive. While he no longer remembers what led him to Daddys with Angels, he has always found support in the group. He considers himself to be still on his journey of healing after losing Daniel and takes great solace in helping other men through the pain of loss.

A teacher and a tradesman, he has dedicated his life to helping others find their way, despite his belief that he's still finding his way too: "None of us knows the way, but together we have chance to piece together a way forward that is better than what we could have come up with alone. Every different experience we come across, every perspective we share is one more option we have in dealing with our own grief. That's why it's so crucial to share your story... You never know whose suffering you might prevent just by them knowing the struggles you've already been through."

Seven years after his loss, and about five with Daddys with Angels, Andy has come to believe that the best legacy he can create for his son is to show other men that vulnerability can be strength.

He hopes that others can accept vulnerability within themselves, share their stories, and start to heal.

 

Andy's greatest hope is to see Daddys with Angels become a truly international network of support for men around the globe to help them cope with their grief.