‘Bereavement services matter - families remember the difference they make’
Bereaved parents sharing son Freddie’s legacy and Ilford North MP, and former Health Secretary (now Defence Secretary) Wes Streeting were among speakers at our Baby Loss Awareness Conference.
Parents Jack and Amy Sheraton’s son Freddie was stillborn on Christmas Eve in 2019. Jack explained how our lead bereavement midwife, Louise Brodrick, stepped in to support them as soon as they discovered Freddie had died.
Louise and her team explained all the next steps, including about the funeral; I didn’t know there would be a funeral. We learned so much and were guided through everything. We’ll be forever grateful.
In his memory, the couple, now parents to Tommy, five, and Teddy, three, have raised over £16,000 for the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity, specifically to improve bereavement services for other families.
Jack also shared how they “take a lot of comfort from the fact that Freddie’s legacy lives on”. This has included coffee mornings, football matches, and a seven-kilometre run from Raphael Park to Queen’s Hospital and back on Saturday 10 October, marking seven years since his birth.
Amy added:
We had some great midwives, and when he was born it was such a special moment. As soon as we left the hospital we aimed to come back every year with a cheque to help other families.
Life can be crazy and it’s nice to have days like today to take time out to remember Freddie.
They explained how the support continued even after they left hospital - Louise helped them during their subsequent pregnancies and was at the births of all three of their sons.
Jack added:
We’re the only three people - Amy, Louise and I - to have met all three of our children.
Wes Streeting spoke about the importance of this specialist support following the loss of the baby of close friends:
A few months ago, friends had the awful experience of losing a baby. I was profoundly affected by what they went through and cannot begin to imagine what they were feeling.
Bereavement services really matter, and families will remember the difference they made.
Also at the event was Mohamed Omer, from the Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery and the all-party parliamentary group on baby loss; PETALS, which offers specialist baby loss counselling; and Ebony Bonds, a black baby loss support group.
Organised by our Bereavement Midwifery team it was held at Queen’s Hospital on Friday 16 October and marked the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Pictured top are Jack, Amy and Louise, standing in front of pictures from their fundraising for Freddie.