Warwick Hospital to light up pink and blue to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week

Warwick Hospital will be lighting up pink and blue later this month to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

During the week, which runs from October 9 to 15, Sarah Barnes - a bereavement midwife at the hospital – will be switching on the lights at the site.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 21st year, is an opportunity for everyone in the baby loss community and beyond to come together to remember and commemorate much-loved and missed babies.

The week also raises awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss; the importance that bereavement support plays; and the work that is needed to improve pregnancy outcomes and to save babies’ lives.

A spokesperson from Warwick Hospital said: “The Warwick Hospital lights will take place on Monday October 9 and finish Sunday October 15

“We hope that lighting up the hospital will spark conversations about baby loss and give local bereaved parents and families an opportunity to talk about their precious babies.”

The team at Warwick Hospital is also holding a raffle on October 11 with all funds going to refurbishing the bereavement suite to allow families the time they need and deserve to spend with their baby in a difficult time.

For more information about the raffle go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/swftmaternity

Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands and chair of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, said: “Last year, Baby Loss Awareness Week explored the steps that people take along their grief journey, and communities really engaged and resonated with that.

“It gave people the opportunity to explore their own experiences, learn from others and base their Baby Loss Awareness Week activities around that.

“This year, we are exploring that theme again and we hope that, together, we can reassure anyone who finds themselves on their own grief journey, and we hope that events such as lighting up the hospital can show that there are communities out there that exist to help, whatever step of your journey you are on.”

Anyone in Warwick or the surrounding areas can share their photos of the lights on social media with the hashtag #BLAW.

Baby Loss Awareness Week culminates with the “Wave of Light” on October 15, when people across the world light a candle at 7pm and leave it burning to remember all babies that have died too soon.

For more information go to: www.babyloss-awareness.org