It's hard to comprehend the pain of losing a child but one grieving father has penned a heartbreaking post to help others going through the same experience.
Brad Kearns, 27, from New South Wales, Australia has had three sons but his first, Buddy, was stillborn.
The gym manager uploaded a blog post yesterday (which was Father's Day in Australia) titled 'A Father's Day Message.'
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Credit: DadMum Facebook
In the post he explained the meaning behind the small handprint tattoos around his neck.
"These tiny little hands that are positioned like an eternal cuddle," he wrote.
"These are the hands of our first son. His name was Buddy. It wasn't always going to be his name, but it seemed right at the time. When we met him for the first time and he was peacefully sleeping.
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"It just seemed so right. He was my little Buddy. The handprints serve as my daily reminder."
The post has since gone viral and the young father says he hopes it encourages people going through 'similar misfortunes' to speak out about it.
He told MailOnline: "We have a lot of people around us who have been through similar misfortunes as us and I think it's nice for those people to be included and to feel included.
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"It's also nice for those people when awareness is created around the topic.
"I think awareness is key. Awareness validates everything. The more people who talk about it, the more people are able to talk about it. Especially men."
If you've been affected by any of he issues in this article, visit Sand - the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.
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