Help stop baby Stephen's unmarked ''pauper's grave'' in Deansgrange cemetery from being ''landscaped''.

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THE SOLUTION IS EASY
I simply want to
a) be guaranteed that Stephen's remains will not now, nor ever, be moved
and
b) erect a memorial on the exact site of his grave to the same size as a standard gravestone in keeping with nearby historic graves, as I had originally planned.
The memorial will be #ForStephen & will acknowledge the other babies born in 'mother & baby' institutions who also remain a secret. 

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Stephen was born January 10th 1972 in an Irish ''mother & baby'' institution.
He died a few weeks later before his adoption was finalised. 
Stephen was a secret in his birth family, known only to his birth mother, until 2005 & he remains a secret to most of his birth family to this day, just like many 100s if not 1000s of others also born in ''mother & baby'' institutions in Ireland.

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I am Stephen's oldest sister Beth, his other sister & I were both also born in ''mother & baby'' institutions & adopted to different families.

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I visited Stephen's grave in Deansgrange cemetery soon after learning about his short life & made a promise to myself that I would honour him, & those like him, in whatever way I could so that future generations would remember the 1000s of babies born in the institutions who both lived & died as secrets; walking, breathing, living secrets.

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I began a fundraiser to gather together the funds necessary to buy Stephen's ''pauper's grave'' & to commission & erect a memorial on the grave. I'm so grateful for people's generosity, both with their money & good wishes - you can donate here if you wish!

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I have been communicating with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown county council about purchasing Stephen's burial plot for a year and a half. The staff I was communicating with knew it was my intention to purchase the plot, which I wanted to do so that
- Stephen's remains could not be moved & no further burials take place in his plot
and
- to erect a memorial on the grave. The memorial was to be the 'standard' size on a grave in keeping with cemetery guidelines. 

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I emailed the council to say that money was coming together & asked for a destination to send the funds, I was informed that a decision had been taken & it was now no longer possible to purchase the grave, not only was it no longer possible to purchase the grave but that it was to be ''landscaped''. 

I communicated with the council staff to make sure they were aware of the circumstances of Stephen's birth & death - this is an issue very alive in the collective mind of Irish people at this time.

The decision, I was told, is final, but that I can, if I wish, lay a flat 18 inch by 12 inch plaque on his grave site. This is wholly insufficient & indicative, to me, of how so many of those who were born, who gave birth, & who died in Irish ''mother & baby'' institutions have been ''landscaped'' over & the significance of this chapter of Irish life, how it is very much alive & in the present, not the distant past, has been ''landscaped'' over by our society, successive governments, churches & our very own families.

Also, because of where Stephen's grave is located a plaque, flat on the ground, would become invisible again within a few months due to debris from trees overhead & his grave would disappear again into invisibility & anonymity. 

Enough. 

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YOU CAN HELP BY
- SIGNING the petition & sharing it on social media (please note that if you donate money here on Change.org it does NOT come to the #ForStephen campaign, it goes to Change.org!) 

- contacting your own local representatives to ask them to contact Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to the matter

- if you are a resident of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council area you can find the list of councillors here & I ask that you contact YOUR local councillor & ask them what they are going to do to ensure Stephen's grave is not landscaped over & forgotten & that the memorial project can continue

- donating to the #ForStephen crowdfunding campaign to commission & erect the memorial (again, please note that you CANNOT donate to the #ForStephen campaign through this website you can donate here on Facebook & here if you prefer not to use Facebook) 


For more detailed information or press inquiries contact info@bethwallace.org


Thank you!