On the 2nd May 2018, four days past our due date, Jon and I received the worst news of our lives. Our baby boy no longer had a heartbeat.

As we waited for the doctors to induce labour, we sat in a delivery suite room at Nottingham City Hospital surrounded by baby equipment and a picture of newborn. I honestly didn’t know how I could deliver our baby boy.

Returning to the hospital the next day, we were quickly taken into the Serenity Suite. This is a bereavement suite for parents of stillborn babies and neonatal baby loss where families can deliver and create some memories with their baby.

Our son, Albie Elliot Hallam was stillborn on the 4th May 2018 in this suite. Jon and I stayed in the suite for days whilst I delivered our baby and we got to spend some precious time with him. Our families were able to come and meet Albie too and the midwives kindly collected his perfect handprints and footprints and photographs of our beautiful boy.

If it were not for Forever Stars, this quiet and private space would not exist in the City Hospital or the QMC for parents like myself and Jon. Whilst we will never be able to fully come to terms with our loss, we are forever grateful for the care of the midwives at the hospital, for the use of the Serenity Suite and for the memories that Forever Stars have helped us to hold.

Forever Stars continue to raise funds to help families like ours during their most difficult times. They are currently fundraising to create a rememberance garden at Highfields and we would be very grateful if you could help us to support them with this.