Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to shine a light on baby loss

Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Main Entrance. (Archive picture)

This year, 2017, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust will be taking part in the global wave of light campaign as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

It is the first time the Trust has taken part in Baby Loss Awareness Week which runs from 9th to 15th October every year.

At 3.00pm on Sunday 15th October 2017 the Trust will be hosting a special memorial service at the Union Baptist Church in Easton Street, High Wycombe where a candle will be lit for each baby lost. Everyone is welcome to come along.

In addition, the Trust will be joining forces with Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury to raise awareness of the issues surrounding baby loss in the UK. The manor will be lighting up its main façade at 7.00pm on Sunday 15th October 2017.

The Trust has opened two new rooms at Stoke Mandeville Hospital which are specially designed to support families through the initial stages of the loss of their baby. The Willow Room in the maternity unit was opened with the help of stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, while the Snowdrop Room on the surgical floor was created in partnership with the Trust’s charitable fund and charity in aid of bereaved parents 4Louis.

Bereavement support midwife Jennifer Higgs says: ‘We want to make sure that we can do everything we can to support families during what could be one of the most difficult times of their lives and hope that our new Willow and Snowdrop rooms will provide them with a more comfortable and less clinical environment.

To see Waddesdon Manor lit up as part of the wave of light will also be a beautiful way to help local families commemorate their babies’ lives. We want them to know that we are here to help them every step of the way in ensuring they receive the right support.

Local SANDS representative, Sam Phillips, said: “One of our main aims is to ensure that our local hospitals are properly equipped to deal with those affected by a baby loss and the new Willow Room at Stoke Mandeville is a great example of what can be achieved.‘