Annual Babies Memorial Service

Date of release: 29 October 2024

A memorial service has been organised to enable bereaved parents, their families and friends to unite with others and commemorate the lives of babies who died during pregnancy, at – or soon after – birth and in infancy.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) event will be hosted by its Chaplaincy Team, alongside Specialist Bereavement Midwives and other Neonatal and Maternity staff. The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS) Wolverhampton and Looking After Parents and Siblings Group (LAPS) – two charities which regularly support RWT and its service-users – are also supporting the service.

All parents and families who have suffered the loss of a baby regardless of gestation are invited to attend the service which will take place on Sunday 3 November at 2.30pm at St Patrick’s RC Church in Wolverhampton (WV10 0QO).

Families of faith and no faith are welcome to attend.

Rev. Joe Fielder, Lead Chaplain for RWT, said: “We hope those who attend will be helped by seeing the familiar face of a Midwife, Nurse or a Chaplain.

“We are very grateful for the many people who are working together to put on this special service. Together we hope we can comfort people and honour their little ones.”

The service will contain music by The RWT Singers and a space for reflection, poems and readings.

Kirsty Malcolm and Carole Sadler, the Trust’s Specialist Bereavement Midwives, strive to support families and recognise how important these memorial events are.

Carole explained: “For many families it’s their way of honouring their still very much loved, and very much missed, babies.

Kirsty added: “It can be a helpful and important stepping stone in their healing process as they grieve and remember.”

The service will also give an opportunity to all who attend to light a candle and also place a token heart with a personal message on a special memory trees.

Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supprting bereaved families
The Lily Mae Foundation
4 Louis