£10,000 donation in daughter’s memory helps bereaved parents
A couple whose baby died shortly after birth have raised over £10,000 in their daughter’s memory for the hospital bereavement suite that helped them.
Amie and Aaron Stephens from Maldon, with the support of their friends, family and colleagues, raised the money through a charity golf day in Langdon Hills in loving memory of Havana who was born at just 37 weeks. The money is benefitting the Blossom Suite at Broomfield Hospital, where the family were cared for by the baby bereavement team for three days.
Remembering the precious moments before her devastating loss, mum Amie said: “Staying in the suite with Havana meant that we could cherish the small amount of time we had with our daughter, and we could introduce family to her and capture special memories of our time together. At such a tragic time I knew that I was in safe and supportive hands before we even arrived at the hospital.
“The team went above and beyond; I can’t imagine having been without them at such a time. Since the loss of Havana, we’ve both met with other bereaved parents and were shocked to find out that not everyone gets this level of support in the UK. Ensuring that other parents get access to this same level of support is crucial. We’re so pleased that we were able to raise such a significant amount of money to help the unit continue its work.”
Tabitha Stuthridge, Specialist Bereavement Midwife, said: “This is such an amazing legacy for baby Havana and we are extremely grateful that Amie and Aaron chose to support our bereaved families. The generosity of their fundraising will provide memory making and support materials for families, something we couldn't offer without the fundraising support.”