Reflection on Baby Loss Awareness Week from Friends of The Baby Unit

As we have reached the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week for another year, the Friends of The Baby Unit team would like to send their heartfelt love and thoughts to anyone that finds this a particularly difficult week. We recognise for parents and families that have sadly experienced baby loss that Baby Loss Awareness Week is every week of the year, the pain sadly never goes away. But we would like you to know that although our thoughts are always with you, that you and your babies have been at the forefront of our minds during this week.

To mark BLAW 2023 we placed a memory tree in the Derbion Centre where parents and families could place the name of a loved baby taken too soon to remember them.  Although we wish that there was no need for such a tree, we felt that it did look very beautiful with all of the names written on love hearts hanging from each branch. We joined families in remembering their precious babies, and at the end of the week the FOBU team each lit a candle for the Wave of Light that marks the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

As a charity we raise money for the Derby Neonatal Unit, which also includes the amazing work that the bereavement team do with bereaved families. During Baby Loss Awareness Week, we raised over £300, which will be used by the NICU to support those going through the hardest time of their lives.