Throughout the year, we have survived the celebrations and family events that have come and gone - Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, ‘angelversaries’, family events, first day at school photos, Christmas and New Year. It can be both a time for sadness, as we move further away from the day we met our child, another year of memories not made and a time of hope - as we look towards the new year and hope that our journey without our child becomes a little easier to bear. However you are feeling, there are people who have walked in your shoes, who understand and will support you - you are not alone. Wishing you all a peaceful, happy and healthy New Year xxx 2014 Review After a quiet few months, things took off at the Jersey Women’s Refuge International Woman’s Day Breakfast with my nomination - and award - for Inspirational Woman of the Year. Not only did it raise awareness of the charity, but of baby loss too. So a big thank you to Maternity and the mystery person who nominated me. I am still a little in disbelief! April saw our first sewing event - lots of angel gowns and angel pockets were made for babies too small or fragile for baby clothes. Even our tiniest babies deserve a little dignity. I was also invited to Jersey Hospice to meet a representative of the Community Bereavement Service to talk about our memory boxes. May saw the release of a powerful film - Return to Zero, starring Minnie Driver and Paul Edlestein, it features them as Maggie and Aaron Royal who lose their baby late in pregnancy. What I loved about the film was its rawness. It is so true, messy, beautiful, hilarious, honest, devastating, and hopeful. I laughed, nodded along and cried. I was doubled over in laughter as often as I was awash in tears. I walked out of that cinema feeling as though my own grief journey had been validated and that I was truly not alone. I felt proud to be a part of this community. I am a survivor! We have all survived the most unimaginable heartache. This is a film that every newly bereaved parent will want their friends and family to watch. It is an honest glimpse into the aftermath of losing a baby and what it is like to go through such a heartache.” Carly. It was an amazing film not always easy to watch as it brought back some painful memories of ‘that day’ for many of us, I have a copy if anyone would like to watch it. June saw our 6th anniversary of the creation of the charity. 200 memory boxes gives to bereaved families in the Channel Islands. September saw the start of year of support from Nicky Holgate-Smith (Nicky at the Mayfair) who is a swimming teacher. The first event was a Christmas Frozen Party for all her pupils which was a great fundraiser and enjoyed by all. October was Baby Loss Awareness Week finishing with the Global Wave of Light and again we held a online Wave of Light where people were able to add their own photographs of their candles. I went with Jan Auffret, our Jersey Bereavement Midwife, to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for their launch of Every Baby Counts - an initiative to reduce rate of stillbirth, death of a newborn baby or the birth of a baby at ‘full term’ but with brain injuries by 50%, by 2020. A privilege to be attend. We were also proud to appoint two new trustees, Jo Prouten and Vicky de Veulle who have been friends of mine since our early days of loss and have always given their utmost support to the charity since the beginning. November was candle jar time and a number of ladies helped create around 150 beautiful candle jars for our candlelit carol service. December was our first ever Lights of Love Candlelit Carol Service, tying in with the SANDS services in Guernsey and across the UK. This was such a lovely candlelit evening with carols, bereaved parents performing readings, candle lighting in memory of our babies and a reading of their names - such a simple thing, to hear your child’s name read out, but so meaningful when your child has died. Aimee De Carteret has made some beautiful handmade baby bracelets for our memory boxes and I will share some photos of these in the New Year. This year I have met all kinds of people from Soroptomists to Cubs; people and children have run, partied, dressed down, donated time and energy to help raise funds and make items for Philip’s Footprints. As always I am touched by the stories shared and the people I meet and very very grateful for the donations made to enable us to continue giving our memory boxes to families in need.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:39:12 +0000