We have supported the RMCH in the development of their new counselling service for bereaved parents of child loss, with the provision of a comforting and calming room, which will be used for difficult conversations as well as emotional support following the loss of a child.
The Family Support Room, situated just off paediatric A&E at RMCH, has been designed with lower lighting options, artwork selected to be gentle and calming, soft furnishings, a remembrance book, tea and coffee facilities and much more.
We appreciate the Family Support Team's eagerness to make sure this was done well and they have worked with us to hear our voices as parents who have walked this path. Both sides are committed to ensuring that parents are held at their time of need.
We know the impact the little things can make during this horrific time, and we hope that this 'hug in a room' from Milly, will make parent's feel like they are being cared for, in a less clinical setting.
We have also created a library of over 250 support books to be used by parent's and siblings who have been impacted by the death of a child. Allowing the team at RMCH to gift families with books covering how to speak to a child about death, grief journals, stories suitable for children with a discreet message, activity and work books suited to different ages.
The night we lost Milly, we wanted to read her a bedtime story before we came away from the hospital, we know that the team managed to find us a book, and for that we are forever grateful, it just so happened to be one of our favourites. For this reason there is now a set of books for parents to read to their child, when visiting them in the mortuary, if they so wish. Not everyone will want to do this, and there is no right or wrong way, but the option is now there.
The death of our daughter was very sudden, and unexpected. We were not made aware of the ability to cast her hand in stone, and whilst we were able to take home hand prints and footprints, a full size model of Milly's hand is something we wish we had.
We have donated 40 hand casting kits to RMCH, for them to use to be able to capture this memory for any family that lose a child.
This is at the choice of the parents, and this is such an important point. As a parent in this journey, a lot of choice gets taken away from you. We have provided gift boxes and packaging to ensure that such a special memory is presented well.
Another area, which was something that stuck in my mind when visiting Milly at the mortuary was that she was in a very generic gown and bedding set. This upset us because we know she wouldn't have liked it, and children are so individual we wanted parents to feel like their child was comfortable with what they were resting in. We have so far donated 50 hospital gowns, with another 50 on their way. These have been made for a wide range of ages, with patterns ranging from space, to fairies, flowers to safari animals. We have also donated bedding to accompany the gowns with suitable characters for younger children and teenager appropriate bedding too.
Nothing will take the pain away from loosing a child, we know that. We only hope that the ability to feel like your child's personality is appreciated and honoured during this time will help to ease some of the distress caused by the clinical atmosphere.
Comentarios