Leeds Teaching Hospitals invites families to join virtual events marking Baby Loss Awareness Week

It is estimated that miscarriage happens in around one in four pregnancies and baby loss affects around 2500 families in the UK each year.

Baby Loss Awareness Week is an annual event to remember as well as to give thanks and spread messages of hope. The week culminates in a Global Wave of Light - where people across the world light a candle at 7pm on Thursday, October 15 and share messages on social media.

In place of its usual memorial service, the trust is inviting people to send in a memory tag which will be added to the remembrance tree at St James’s Hospital and to share a video message of hope for other families which will be posted on social media.

Then on October 15, specialist bereavement midwife Tracy Campey, deputy head of chaplaincy Jo Jones and Aneira Thomas, chair of the Maternity Voices Partnership will join together to hang tags on the remembrance tree on behalf of families to help them remember their loved ones.

Buildings at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital also will be lit up blue and pink in tribute to families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss.

“Although we’ve had to change a few things this year, we’re still here for our families and would be honoured to hang their messages on our remembrance tree in memory of their loved ones.”

Tags must be sent before October 14 to Wave of Light c/0 Haamla office, Antenatal clinic, Level 4 Gledhow Wing, St James’s Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, or emailed to [email protected] marked for the attention of Wave of Light. Video messages can be shared by email to [email protected]

For more information visit www.leedsth.nhs.uk/maternity-wave-of-light-2020