A COVENTRY Neonatal Nurse who suffered the grief of losing twins has helped to raise the vital cash needed to open a dedicated labour room for women following the death of a baby.
Emma Fellows lost twins Freddie at 22 weeks and Frankie just 13 days short of his due date.
Together with husband Jordan and other midwives and support workers, they raised £18,001 by climbing Snowdon and hosting a fundraising night.
Work on the resulting ‘Dandelion Room’ has now been completed at Coventry’s University Hospital.
The room is fully soundproofed and the first part of the plans for a bereavement suite providing a private, quiet space for mothers, partners and families.
Some of the cash has been used to buy items such as LED candles, coffee mugs and artificial plants.
Several kind-hearted Coventrians who have experienced bereavement have helped to fund the developments.
Plans for the rest of the suite, which will be away from the Labour Ward, are being drawn up and costed.
Jordan said: “Emma had to endure giving birth to both of our boys naturally to give us the best chance to try again.
“Due to the funding the hospital receives Emma had to give birth on the normal Labour ward alongside all the other mums-to-be.
“This meant during the time she was there she was surrounded by all the other mothers to be and newborn babies that were born.
“All of this at a time when the grief was so raw.”
More than 5,000 babies are born at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire each year, with an average of at least one stillbirth per month.
Chief Nursing Officer, Tracey Brigstock, added: “We do all we can to support families when they experience the death of their baby.
“Our staff understand how difficult this is and endeavour to provide empathetic and sympathetic care, empowering and enabling the woman and her partner to spend as much time with their baby as they would like.”
