Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 22nd 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. This year, the theme for Baby Loss Awareness Week is ‘Together, We Care’.
The week ends with the “Wave of Light” on Tuesday 15 October. This is a special time when people across the world light a candle at 7pm and leave it burning to remember all babies that have died too soon.
Katie and Derrien will be attending a remembrance service at St James’s Hospital to light a candle in memory of their son Isaac. They have shared their story this Baby Loss Awareness Week:
Katie and Derrien’s story
“Baby Loss Awareness Week holds a deeply personal significance for us. In March of this year, we experienced the unimaginable heartbreak of losing our beautiful son, Isaac. From that moment, our lives were forever changed. Having worked for the Trust for many years, we recently found ourselves on the receiving end of the extraordinary care and compassion provided by LTHT Maternity Services.
Our joy turned to devastation during our 20-week scan when Isaac was diagnosed with a rare and severe condition. Faced with an unthinkable prognosis, we made the heart-breaking decision to say goodbye to our precious boy at 26 weeks. No words can truly prepare you for the overwhelming grief that follows such a decision.
We are eternally grateful to the entire team, from the fetal medicine specialists to the incredible midwives on the Rosemary Suite at LGI. A special thank you goes to Cathy, our bereavement midwife, whose kindness brought light to the darkest moment of our lives.
It is with love and remembrance that we will attend the Baby Loss Awareness Week Remembrance event, where we will light a candle in Isaac’s name, and in honour of all the babies gone too soon.”
How can I get involved in Baby Loss Awareness Week in Leeds?
We are inviting families to join us for ‘A Time for Remembering’ service which will be held in the Chapel at St James’s Hospital on Tuesday 15th October. This service will commence at 6:15pm in memory of much loved and longed for babies.
Please complete our form: Baby Loss Awareness event registration form if you wish to attend.
There are limited places available within the church and we hope to accommodate as many families as possible however this will be done on a first come, first served basis for safety reasons.
Families, friends and staff are also invited to the St James’s Hospital Chapel to mark the Wave of Light. Battery operated tealights or lanterns can be brought along to switch on at 7pm and come together in remembrance. Refreshments will be available and there will be access to the chapel to hang remembrance tokens on the tree until 7.30pm
The Chapel is located to the right of the roundabout at the entrance to St James’s Hospital (off Beckett Street). The nearest car parking is across the road on Beckett Street or in the St James’s Hospital multistorey. You can find other car parks in the area using the Parkopedia website.
Write a message for our remembrance tree
If you are unable to attend these remembrance events but wish for a message to be placed on the tree in the chapel in memory of a baby, please complete our form:
This message will be written on a tag and placed on the tree for Baby Loss Awareness Week by our Specialist Bereavement Midwives, Cathy and Nicole and Caroline and Trish from the Neonatal Bereavement Team.
Other ways to mark the week
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be lighting up buildings at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital for Baby Loss Awareness Week from 9th – 15th October.
Join the Global Wave of Light at 7pm on 15th October – light a candle at home and share your message on social media. You can also download a ribbon template to display your message: BLAW Ribbon Template
Explore Baby Loss Awareness Week to discover self-care advice and ways you can get involved during the week.