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Raviro Chineka

A tribute for My sister Eve who took her own life after losing her first child at birth. I believe she could have been here with us had she received the right supports. I am walking for Eve and all the women who can't conceive, who have lost children, born alive or otherwise.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.

Total Raised

$115

Total Distance

18km

Distance Goal

40km

Support My Walk for Mental Health Research

Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians experience symptoms of mental illness each year?

This October, I’m taking part in One Foot Forward to help Australians impacted by mental illness and suicide.

I'm walking to raise funds for Black Dog Institute to put ground-breaking new mental health treatment, education, and digital services into the hands of the people who need them most.

It would mean so much to me if you donated to support my walk.

Together, we can create better mental health for all Australians.

My Updates

For Eve — and Every Woman Who’s Ever Lost Her Light

By Raviro Chineka https://www.onefootforward.org.au/fundraisers/ravirochineka/one-foot-forward

This story is shared as part of a fundraising effort supporting mental health research with the Black Dog Institute, helping Australians find hope and healing after loss.

A Letter to My Sister

Eve, your name evokes the essence of morning—soft, luminous, and full of promise. You loved your unborn child long before you held her, and when the light faded that day, so did a part of you.

What I didn’t realise then was how grief can quietly manifest as silence. You smiled for us, but your heart was already whispering goodbye.

This letter is for you—and for every woman who has ever felt her light dim under the weight of loss. You symbolize love, courage, and the strength it takes to keep breathing when the world goes quiet.

The Unspoken Weight

Across Australia, thousands of women live with grief that often goes unseen. When a pregnancy or child is lost, society doesn’t always know what to say—many women stop talking, stop reaching out, and gradually begin to believe that healing isn’t possible.

Research tells us otherwise:

1 in 4 women experience clinical depression or PTSD after miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss (Cacciatore, 2013).
Feelings of shame, failure, and guilt often deepen the silence (Gold, 2016).
Without professional support, this grief can spiral into despair or self-harm, especially in the first weeks following loss (Farren et al., 2016).

When Eve passed, it wasn’t because she was weak. It was because she was unheard.

The Science of Healing

Even in heartbreak, there is hope—and healing has many paths.

Grief-focused therapy and counseling help women process trauma and release self-blame (Kersting & Wagner, 2012).
Peer support groups such as SANDS Australia and Red Nose Grief and Loss provide safe spaces where no one feels “crazy” for their sadness (Cacciatore & Flint, 2012).
Faith, mindfulness, and memorial rituals—planting a tree, naming the baby, or writing letters—can transform pain into meaning (Murphy & Lohan, 2019).
Community and workplace compassion—through bereavement leave, mental health check-ins, and open conversations—can literally save lives (Flenady et al., 2020).

Even when life feels shattered, the human heart knows how to rebuild—piece by sacred piece.

A Message for Every Grieving Woman

To the woman who lost her child and feels like she lost herself—you are not alone. You are not broken. You are not to blame.

Please reach out—to a counselor, a support group, a trusted friend, or a helpline. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means learning to carry love differently.

You can still find beauty in the spaces where pain once lived. You can still become light for another woman lost in the dark.

For Eve

Eve’s story didn’t end with her death. It lives on in this message—and in every woman who reads it and chooses to keep living.

If you are hurting, I hope you stay. I hope you let others help. I hope you believe that your story, like Eve’s, still matters.

Where to Find Help (Australia & Beyond)

If you or someone you know is struggling after pregnancy or infant loss, please reach out for support:

In Australia:

Red Nose Grief and Loss
1300 308 307
rednosegriefandloss.org.au

SANDS Australia
1300 072 637
sands.org.au

Pregnancy, Birth & Baby Helpline
1800 882 436
pregnancybirthbaby.org.au

Lifeline Australia
13 11 14
lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
beyondblue.org.au

Black Dog Institute
blackdoginstitute.org.au

Internationally:

Postpartum Support International (PSI)
+1-800-944-4773
postpartum.net

Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
nationalshare.org

SANDS (UK)
sands.org.uk

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.)
Call or text 988

If you are in crisis, please call 000 (Australia) or your local emergency number.

A Note of Purpose

This blog was written to honor Eve—and every woman who has ever lost her light. Through this story, we hope to raise awareness and support mental health research at the Black Dog Institute, so that more women can find the care, compassion, and understanding they deserve.

If this story touched your heart, please consider supporting the cause:
👉 Donate to the Black Dog Institutehttps://www.onefootforward.org.au/fundraisers/ravirochineka/one-foot-forward .