Warning: This post may be triggering to some
In July 2023, Adam Edwards and his wife lost their two children – Penny and James. Adam’s wife, Lucy, was 21 weeks pregnant with their much-longed-for boy/girl twins when they were stillborn.
Through the grieving process, Adam was Lucy’s rock but the pain became too much for Adam. He was found dead at his place of work in a remote mining town in Western Australia, just weeks after losing the twins.
Adam, a FIFO worker, is remembered as a gentle giant who adored his wife and could fill the room with joy. Lucy told The Daily Mail that her husband was “quite simply overjoyed” to be a father and “had so much love to give”.
10-year journey to become parents
Lucy and Adam, who wed in 2019, struggled with fertility for 10 years. The pair turned to IVF to conceive their miracle twins. The process was long and expensive but finally, in February 2023, they fell pregnant.
In April, Lucy and Adam shared their exciting news with friends and family through social media with a snapshot of their latest scans and a due date of late October or early November.
Tragically, in July 2023, the twins were born still at just 21 weeks. Lucy and Adam named their babies Penny Christine and James Robert.
Adam and Lucy were heartbroken. However, as Lucy tells The Daily Mail, Adam remained her rock while she crumbled.
Over these past few unimaginable months of grief and loss, Adam was my rock. He was a strong and steady presence at a time when my heart was shattered into a million pieces.
But I now know that sometimes grief and trauma can be utterly overwhelming for even the strongest people, and for many men, especially those working FIFO, reaching out for help is daunting.”
Suffering inside
While Adam remained strong for his wife on the outside, he was suffering on the inside. Being a FIFO worker and being away from his wife would not have helped. His body was found last Tuesday at the remote BHP mine where he worked.
Through the devastation of losing both her babies and her husband, Lucy speaks out about “the importance of mental health for men, particularly those who work Fly-In, Fly-Out”.
She hopes his death will spark change to prevent a similar situation from happening to anyone else.
While all I can do is face my unbearable sadness one day at a time, my hope is that other families can be spared the heartache and pain that I and Adam’s family are now experiencing.
We need more community conversations about the impact of infertility and losing precious unborn children.
We need more understanding of the impact sudden loss and trauma can have on a person’s wellbeing.”
‘Take care of our babies’
Lucy broke the news of her husband’s passing on social media last week, sharing a photo of herself and Adam with their twins before saying goodbye to them.
To love Adam Edwards has been the privilege and joy of my life,” she wrote, “I don’t know how to do this life without you. We all love you fiercely, but to have been loved by you is the greatest gift any of us could have asked for.
I would do anything for one last kiss, one last hug or one last day. Please take care of our babies.”
Family and friends have rallied around the grieving widow with one friend setting up a GoFundMe account to help with the funeral expenses. Lucy has also received an outlaying of supportive messages on her social media as people remember how kind and loving Adam was. She has since requested for privacy while she “comes to terms with life without Adam”.
Adam can be described as being larger than life, literally at 6.4ft and the biggest hands anyone has ever seen, he gave the best bear hugs and hugged everyone, even people he just met, with the love and kindness of a long-term friend. His laughter carried afar, his joyful presence filled the room, and the love he has for Lucy is what poems are made from,” reads the description on GoFundMe.
It’s clear that Adam will be greatly missed. We hope anyone who is in a similar situation to Adam knows that they are not alone and that help is available. Lucy urges anyone struggling with their own personal crisis to contact the support group MATES in Mining on 1300 642 111 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
We need to ensure that men working in high-stress industries such as mining know that there is no shame or stigma in opening up about grief and accepting support,” Lucy said.
Where to get help
- MATES in Mining – 1300 642 111
- Suicide Prevention Australia
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, phone 000 for emergency services.
