Well-being boxes introduced in maternity services in memory of baby boy

Martha, a nurse at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), and Ben Gumsley, a paramedic, lost their son George at 21 weeks gestation. Martha said:

“We were supported during our heart-breaking experience by the most compassionate and caring bereavement midwives, Michelle and Charlotte, in a specialist bereavement suite. Home comforts meant so much to us when I spent time in hospital after giving birth to George. Cosy blankets, a hot water bottle and bits and bobs to freshen up helped me to feel more myself and made a big difference to our experience.

“We were very lucky to have family and friends local who were able to fetch us things from home and from the shops to make my stay comfortable, but that isn’t always the case for everyone. We wanted parents using the bereavement suite to not be worried about those things. We hope that we can make their stay a little less daunting and a bit more peaceful whilst they go through a really hard time.”

The well-being boxes, which are called ‘Love from, George’, include an array of toiletries for parents, a hot water bottle teddy, cosy blanket, water bottle, grief book, cosy socks, notebook and pen, resources to access help online and a voucher for the hospital cafe to get a hot drink or cake. Martha and Ben hope to keep re-stocking the boxes for as long as fundraising allows.

Annemarie Lawrence, Director of Midwifery at SaTH, said: “We can’t thank Martha and Ben enough for these well-being boxes which remember baby George and which will be of great comfort to families experiencing the loss of a baby. The thought that has gone into each item is clear and I hope that people will continue to support their production.”

If you would like to help raise money for the well-being boxes, please email Charlotte or Michelle on sath.bereavementmidwives@nhs.net. To donate, click here.