Paula Mead
Two little girls making a difference...
Fundraising for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity
Story
As many of you know, we lost our beautiful twin daughters Freya and Rosa on the 23 August 2010. That day our lives changed forever.
The time we spent with our girls in the hours after they were born were both the most emotional and the saddest hours of our lives, but the staff at Kingston Hospital made this as happy and tender as this awful day could be.
The quiet room, the blankets and the baby grows we were given, the family photos taken by the staff and the support of the midwives all provided us with the memories that will forever live with us and without which, the feeling of loss would be even harder to bear.
However, we've since discovered that there is no dedicated bereavement room at Kingston and parents can find themselves in a room of healthy births with no space or time to grieve their loss, a situation we feel, given our experience, it is important to change.
Thankfully most of you will never have heard of Surrey SANDS. The charity provides invaluable empathic support to parents whose babies die during pregnancy or soon after. Sadly we were introduced to SANDS (The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) just after Rosa and Freya's stillbirth. Surrey SANDS are a totally self funding group, run entirely by volunteers.
We have committed to raise £8,000 to help fund the creation of a dedicated SANDS bereavement suite at Kingston Hospital. Kingston maternity ward is undergoing development and a room has been planned for this purpose. Surrey SANDS will oversee the project ensuring that all funds are appropriately administered.
We have set up this Just Giving page so that there is an easy way to make your donations towards our target. All donations, whatever the size are very much appreciated.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and secure, and the most efficient way to sponsor us. SANDS will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. All monies donated will go directly to the Surrey SANDS Hospital Support Project. Gift Aid will be retained by National SANDS towards their work which includes research into stillbirth and neonatal deaths.
We cannot bring our Rosa and Freya back, they are part of our family but just not with us in person. Not a day goes by when we don't think about them or wonder what they would be like now, or what they would be doing. Please help us to create a dedicated bereavement room at Kingston Hospital so that other parents can make the most of their brief time with their babies and enable them to create some precious memories.
Thank you all for your support.
Paula and Andy xxxx