I will be taking part in the Night to Remember walk on 7th September in memory of my beautiful daughter Freya. Freya died suddenly and unexpectedly on 2nd December 2023.

Freya was a fantastic dancer and a truly sensational teenager who I will forever be proud to call my daughter and my best friend. Freya was always so funny and in the past 8 months, I’ve heard so many people say how much they will miss her smile and her laugh. She had the most contagious smile and such a wicked laugh. When Freya laughed, everybody laughed. And when Freya smiled, everybody smiled.

In the midst of all the initial heartache and trauma Jasmine and Corrinne, our paediatric nurses, have been an invaluable support system in so many ways. Having my own personal support system has been and continues to be such a blessing, especially in those first few hours. However, this meant that members of my own family in their own hours of need, had to step up and be the rational thinkers for me and Freya's dad. Once we met Jasmine and Corrine, the pressure was taken off my family members. In a time where I find myself wishing I'd never needed their support, I am so grateful to have received it and still be receiving it.

Sadly there are so many parents who do not receive the support that we do. Please consider sponsoring me to help fund such an imperative cause.

Thank you,

Ashlea

As paediatric family liaison nurses at Kingston Hospital, we support families at the most difficult and distressing times imaginable after losing a child. This is one of the most intensely painful experiences for parents and families to go through. Families describe how they feel like they’ve lost a part of themselves and struggle to return to normal life. The death of a child, no matter how it happens, is likely to be very traumatic. For some losing a child may make them feel like they’ve lost their role as parents. Guilt is a very common feeling, as is anger about the unfairness of it all. Death affects the whole family and can put a lot of strain on relationships, as we all grieve differently.

Money raised at this year’s Night to Remember will go towards providing specialist psychological support for these families delivered by an experienced bereavement psychologist. Up until now it has been a real struggle to provide this to families because of a lack of funding. Some families have funded this costly service themselves, while others have completely gone without this support. We want to change that and ensure all our families have access to a specialist psychologist as they grieve. Research shows that bereaved families are at higher risk of mental and physical poor health and that psychological support is very important in helping to improve this.

As paediatric nurses, we remember every child and family that we were not able to save and we will be walking in memory of them on Saturday 7 September. We will also have the privilege of walking alongside some of our bereaved families. These families are some of the strongest and bravest people we have ever met and, despite their own grief, they want to raise money so that other families get the best possible support if the worst happened to them.

Please donate generously and help us raise as much as we can for bereavement support.

Jasmin Carter-Allen & Corrinne Melian

Paediatric Family Liaison Nurse/ Key worker