Hospitals supporting families bereaved by baby loss
Events are being held at hospitals in mid and south Essex to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October), and to share the support available for bereaved families.
The chaplains at Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals have organised memorial services including candle lighting, ribbon-tying to a remembrance tree, and placing a Tree of Remembrance in the chapel. A ‘Forget Me Not’ service will be held in November for parents who have lost their little ones.
The Trust also has Bereavement Nurses in post who help bereaved parents create precious memories with their babies, offering much-needed comfort during such difficult times.
Among those cared for by the team at Broomfield Hospital’s Blossom Suite are Lexi Peters, 30, and Sean Chamberlain, 29, from South Woodham Ferrers, who tragically lost their baby Hallie last November and received support from the team.
Lexi said: “We are so thankful for everything the team did for us. They helped us feel normal when nothing felt right. They dressed our baby, arranged for a photographer, and gave us hand and footprints, as well as a few strands of hair.
“Everyone in the team was wonderful, especially Beth and Max. We couldn’t have asked for more in terms of the care and support we received.”
Tabitha Stuthridge, Specialist Bereavement Midwife at the Trust, said: “We feel truly blessed to be able to support grieving parents like Lexi and Sean when they need it most. Our bereavement suite and the Blossom Garden offer them much-needed comfort and peace during one of the hardest times in their lives.”
David Childs, Hospital Chaplain, added: “It’s an honour to be able to offer spiritual support to grieving parents, helping them find moments of peace and reflection. Organising memorial and cremation services for babies is a deeply emotional experience. But it allows us to offer families a space for healing and connection as they remember their little ones.”