Benson Suite marks decade of supporting bereaved parents
Sir Christopher Benson visited the suite named in recognition of he and his late wife.
The Benson Suite at Salisbury District Hospital is marking 10 years of supporting parents who experienced the tragic loss of their baby.
Since opening in 2013, the dedicated suite has supported hundreds of families by providing private spaces for families who have lost a baby before or after birth can spend time with them and grieve.
The suite was funded by Stars Appeal and named in recognition of Sir Christopher and Lady Benson who donated the required funding for the suite. Lady Benson passed away last year.
Sir Christopher visited the suite to mark the decade of support it has provided and meet with staff and some of the parents who have been supported there.
Tamar Vellacott and her partner Cameron Pratt from Salisbury were supported at the Benson Suite after losing their baby son Albie in early 2022.
Tamar said: “The use of the Benson Suite meant the world to us as we were able to celebrate and grieve the birth and loss of our baby away from the labour ward where new parents were having the best day of their life as we battled through our worst.
“The privacy and dignity that the Benson Suite offers is second to none. For a place where so many hearts have broken, we walked out of there feeling supported, loved and that our baby had been born and died surrounded by so many people who cared which is all you could ever want.”
Thanks to funds raised by families who have been helped by the Benson Suite over the last 10 years, the Stars Appeal also funds a specialist bereavement midwife who is there to support families before, during, and after their time on the Benson Suite and during subsequent pregnancies.