Donations from bereaved families support parents at the PRUH

07 November 2024 - Donations made in Albie and Freya’s memory help parents experiencing baby loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two families who have sadly experienced stillbirth have supported the dedicated maternity bereavement suite at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) with donations of cold cots, blankets, a rocking chair and a voucher for the hospital’s parent book library.

Holly and Lee Gisby, parents of Albie, were able to spend three days with their son after his birth at Basildon Hospital, due to the availability of a cold cot. Holly explained: “We were able to create precious memories with our little boy, and we were determined to help grieving parents have the same opportunity to spend time with their babies. When we realised the PRUH didn’t have this resource for families going through a loss, we wanted to do our bit to help.”

The Gisby family have worked tirelessly to fundraise for Abigail’s Footsteps, a charity that manufactures and distributes cold cots to hospitals. The cold cot donated to PRUH in Albie’s memory is the first of three cots the Gisby family has helped to fund at the PRUH. Lee and Holly also recently brought along a selection of hand knitted blankets to donate to the maternity bereavement suite at the PRUH.

Katie and John Speakman, from Beckenham, have also donated a rocking chair and vouchers for the PRUH’s parent book library at the hospital’s maternity bereavement suite. Katie said: “Our daughter, Freya, was born sleeping at the PRUH, and we wanted to do something special in her memory. After a lot of thought, we decided to donate a beautiful chair to give parents a space to rock their babies, and books so they can read stories to them. Knowing that Freya’s gift has already brought comfort to other families means the world to us.”

Mitra Bakhtiari, Director of Midwifery and Gynaecology Nursing at King’s College Hospital, said: “We are so grateful to the Gisby and Speakman families for their thoughtfulness and generosity. Their donations will help families make special memories with their babies, at a time when they are most in need of kindness and support.”