Christmas service of remembrance for baby loss families in Teesside
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is holding it in Middlesbrough
A Christmas remembrance service for families and loved ones who have lost a baby or a young child is being organised in Middlesbrough.
The memorial event will be held at 3pm today (Sunday 1st December) at St. Mary’s Church Hall on Morton Carr Lane, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS7 0JU.
Organised by the chaplaincy team at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the event will help those attending remember and reflect those who have died.
There will also be an opportunity for those who are grieving from the loss of their baby or young child to have their names read out during the service.
Jessica Stephens, who is from Middlesbrough, lost two baby boys and she said: "It's just probably one of only things we really get to focus on because Christmas is so heavily orientated around family, but to have that one service where you can go for an hour and then I think a bit after where we get to chat to other people just to dedicate to our babies that aren't here.
"It's so important. I mean the mum guilt at this time of the year is awful as it is when you're off doing everything for your kids that are here, so just being able to dedicate that one day to them is lovely.
"It's about an hour's service. They do different things like songs, poem readings and then a big part of it is you get to hang an angel or a heart on the tree. You write down the names, they read the baby's name out and you get to hang the baby's name on the tree as well.
"I think this time of the year you question yourself and you think 'is this normal? Am I acting normal?' And I don't think there's such a thing as normal really but when you do get to finally speak to other people that are in a similar situation, you find that everyone's struggling. Everyone's in the same situation and a lot of people are feeling the same thing."
Hospital chaplain reverend Lisa Opala said: “This Christmas time, we are inviting families to gather to make memories and share the spirit and joy of the season.
“For those who have lost a baby or a child our Christmas service of remembrance will offer families an opportunity to come together and to remember the life of their little one, no matter how brief or short that was.”
As in previous years, there will be refreshments available for anyone attending, funded by Our Hospitals Charity, the fundraising arm of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Families can also light a candle in memory of their loved ones and the Odell Singers from Redcar will be leading the singing of carols during the service.
Lisa Meehan, fundraising manager for Our Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to support this special service once again this year. It is a beautiful way of remembering the babies and children who have sadly passed away too soon.
"It is always heartfelt to see the event being attended by so many families who have been cared for at our hospitals.”