A CHARITY that aims to support anyone affected by the death of a baby is on the look out for more volunteers in County Fermanagh.

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, began in 1978 when a group of bereaved parents came together.

They found that there was no support following the death of their babies, and grouped together to form Sands to rectify this hole in support.

The charity has grown since.

It is currently embarking on a recruitment drive to ask any person who has been affected by baby loss, and would like to become involved with the charity, to please come forward.

This is especially the case in County Fermanagh.

As a charity, its aim is to support anyone affected by the death of a baby; improve the care bereaved parents receive; and create a world where fewer babies die.

Sands provide memory boxes to every hospital in the country and these are given to bereaved parents when their baby passes.

There is a blanket which the baby can be wrapped in, and this is kept by the parents.

There is also a handprint and footprint kit so the parents can get mementoes of their baby. They can cut a lock of hair, take photos with the memory card provided, and gather physical mementoes of their baby.

The box also contains two teddy bears - one for the parents to keep and one for the baby. And there is plenty of information for the parents, employers and other family members.

These memory boxes cost about £20 to make and are provided free of charge to hospitals and bereaved parents.

Without the ongoing fundraising support which so many bereaved families engage in after their loss, these memory boxes would not be possible.

The charity works tirelessly to provide support services to bereaved parents and their families. It relies heavily on volunteers, especially in Northern Ireland, where it only has one full-time member of staff.

Regional support is carried out by volunteers who have undertaken ‘Befriender Training’.

Suzanne Maguire, who has taken over running the charity’s monthly support meeting in Fermanagh in the last year, said that being a Befriender had been “deeply rewarding”.

“It has allowed me to give back to an organisation which has been integral to my initial survival after losing my son to stillbirth.

“I have been able to meet and support other people through the devastation of baby loss,” she said.

Last year, Suzanne organised a walk to coincide with others around the country.

This walk, ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’, was held during an awareness event within the grounds of Castle Coole.

It was the first in County Fermanagh and was well attended.

Parents gathered for a mile walk, with a picnic and balloon release happening afterwards.

Suzanne said: “Creating positive experiences and ways for family members to remember those that they have lost is what drives a lot of the events that happen around the country, and the wider United Kingdom.

“There is so little opportunity to talk about a dead baby, that these events are lifelines for parents.”

There was also a Christmas carol service, ‘Lights of Love’, in December last year.

It was originally organised to take place on the same night as a dozen others across the United Kingdom. However, snow postponed it for a week.

This, again, was well attended and provided the chance to remember their babies during the festive period.

“Christmas can be a difficult time because it is supposed to be joyous and full of hope. However, with a child missing, and little opportunity to include and talk about them, it can feel hopeless,” Suzanne commented.

‘Lights of Love’ was a service tailored for bereaved parents, with readings and carols. Each parent was invited to write a message on a card which was put on the Christmas tree provided.

And they were also invited to bring a Christmas present for their child, whatever age they ‘should’ be that year, to be left under the tree and donated to charity after.

Sands runs online support forums, call centres, face-to-face support meetings, awareness events and many other opportunities for bereaved parents to meet one another.

They also offer a range of training - photography training, better bereavement care training, training for translators - and they work with hospital trusts across the country to improve the services provided to parents.

The charity also funds research, and supports those doing research, into baby loss, stillbirth, neonatal deaths, fatal fetal abnormalities, and how to reduce the number of babies who die each year.

The number of babies who die each day in the United Kingdom is currently 15 a day. A few years ago, this number was 17.

Sands as a charity works to fund research so this number can be further reduced. They also fund research into bereavement support and how the loss of a baby impacts the lives of those affected.

The monthly support meeting in Fermanagh is held in the Killyhevlin Hotel on the second Wednesday of every month from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and provides a safe and informal place for people to meet, talk and remember their babies.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to become a ‘Befriender’ and become involved with the work of this amazing charity, please do get in touch.

You can contact Sands NI through their Facebook page, or through the coordinator, Steven, by calling 07740 993450.