Maternity staff at ESHT will be lighting candles at 7pm on Thursday 15 October as part of the ‘Wave of Light’ to remember lost babies as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, and to join with bereaved parents, families and friends around the globe to remember all babies who sadly died too soon.
To join the global ‘Wave of Light’, simply light a candle at 7pm on 15 October and leave it burning for at least an hour. This can be done individually or in a group, at home or in a communal space. Wherever you do this, you will be joining a global ‘Wave of Light’ in memory of all the babies who lit up our lives for such a short time.
The maternity bereavement team at ESHT – Jane Bedford-Clark, Kirsty Milward and Angela Riley said: “Many of those who have lost a baby or suffered a miscarriage experience grief for many years afterwards. This act of remembrance, by lighting a candle, is a way of sharing that grief with relatives, friends and those who have suffered a similar experience. Suffering the loss of a baby is an enduring feeling and we hope that this simple act can help them to move forward in the process of grieving.”
Baby Loss Awareness Week is an opportunity for parents, their families and friends to acknowledge and remember their precious babies who have died. It is led by the stillbirth and neonatal death charity (Sands) in collaboration with over 90 charities working together to break the taboo and to drive tangible improvements in policy, bereavement care and support for anyone affected by the death of a baby in the UK.