Memory box donation for families who have lost a young child

Heartbroken families in Great Barr and Hamstead, suffering the loss of their baby, are being comforted through a kind gift by a stillbirth charity.

Birmingham Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) is donating special memory boxes to Sandwell General Hospital for parents whose baby has died or will die soon after birth.

Each box contains two teddy bears, one for the family to take home and one for their baby, a hand-knitted blanket or angel and a hand-made card. In addition they have a trinket box for baby's hair or a name tag, a disposable camera and information and support leaflets.

Each day 17 babies are either stillborn or die within the first four weeks of their lives in the UK, equating to 6,200 babies a year.

The Sands charity hopes the boxes will provide some help to bereaved families at a difficult time.

Lisa Brayshaw, chair of Birmingham Sands, said the aim of the memory box was to help families cope with 'the devastation of coming home with empty hands'.

"This is just one way we can give some small comfort to parents at the time of their baby's death," she said.

"Nothing is going to take the pain away but having something to hold with your baby's special things can make stepping out of the hospital just that bit easier to bear."

Yvonne Callum, midwife at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Losing a baby is devastating but these special memory boxes can help ease the pain.

"We are very grateful that Sands has chosen to donate these boxes to the labour wards at Sandwell Hospital. Sands is a wonderful charity which helps bring light into people's lives at a very difficult time."

The UK charity offers support to bereaved parents and their families. It works with health and social care professionals and promote research into the causes of stillbirth and neonatal death that may help save more babies' lives.

Donations can be made to Birmingham Sands by logging on to www.justgiving.com/birminghamsands, contacting 07709 425 001 or emailing birminghamsands@btinternet.com