It's the worst nightmare for any expectant parent.
But the ordeal of losing a baby is a sad reality for some.
When the unthinkable happens, the Huddersfield-based Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice is there to support parents and siblings with their Neonatal Care Service.
And now, thanks to a welcome £100,000 funding allocation from BBC’s Children in Need appeal, the Brackenhall-based hospice is able to further assist families on the journey from a baby's diagnosis through to bereavement support.
The funding will be spent over three years to primarily cover the costs of a neonatal nurse and sibling support worker for the charity.
Clair Holdsworth, interim Director of Care at the Children’s Hospice said: “We are really proud of the developments we have made with our Neonatal Care Service, offering much needed holistic care and support to families at what is an extremely difficult time.”
Leeds mum Mary and her husband Nathan were put in touch with the Forget Me Not staff at a meeting with a neonatal specialist before daughter Poppy was sadly still born at full term.
Mary said: “The days leading up to delivery we had a lot of contact with the charity. They called Poppy by name and always checked in with how we were doing.
‘Unfortunately at term Poppy was born sleeping and we knew straight away we wanted more time with her.
“It was then Emma from the hospice offered for us to come and stay in the snowflake suite, a special cool nursery for babies who have passed away.
“At such a difficult time it was a great comfort to see a familiar face and have a place to go to help us.
“The hospice feels so homely, I wanted to be there rather than on the maternity unit, where I had the constant reminder of what I had lost. It was a haven to keep me safe from any more emotional harm.”
If you would like to find out more about the work of Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice visit www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk , follow it on Twitter @forgetmnotchild or like its Facebook page.
