Latest news with #babyloss
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bereaved parents from Basingstoke make garden to support others
Bereaved parents have created a memory garden to support others who suffer the loss of a Wheaton and Matt Snook from Basingstoke welcomed the arrival of their twins last year but both babies died shortly after their family received support from Hampshire Hospitals Charity, and, when the funerals came around, they asked for people to donate to the couple used the money raised to fund the memorial garden which has been created at Old Basing House in Basingstoke. Before giving birth Jasmine and Matt knew that their daughter Evie had Edward's syndrome which meant she was not expected to survive died just 99 minutes after her couple were able to take their son Noah home to begin life as a new family but after just two weeks he became poorly with a sudden illness and was taken to the John Radcliff Hospital in Oxford for specialist was revealed that he had suffered severe brain damage and he died at 21 days old. "Laura Mackie from the maternity bereavement team was amazing," Mr Snook said. "When we were far away in hospital with Noah, Laura arranged to get the three of us back to the butterfly suite in Basingstoke so we could say goodbye to Noah in the room we lost Evie. She arranged everything so quickly and on a weekend. Her compassion to help us outside of her working hours and ability to get this sorted so quickly made an impossibly hard moment to deal with so much easier."Reflecting on the support that the family has received since losing their babies, Mr Snook said: "We didn't expect it at all. The whole team was just perfect and the ongoing support we have received has been incredible. "I've even joined a football team supported by the charity for bereaved dads and it's been a huge help to me to be with others in the same situation. Because of all this, we wanted to use the money raised to help give back and provide something that other parents would find useful." 'Haven' for parents The garden at Old Basing House, a former Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing, has been named after Evie and Noah."It's a really comforting place," said Ms Wheaton after she saw the site for the first time. "It's a place for parents to come to have some private time. It feels surreal to think we've managed to achieve this and create a haven that parents can retreat to if they have nowhere to go to remember their baby and we're pleased that it's now here for people to come and use."Ms Wheaton is now pregnant again and, while a little apprehensive, the couple have said they are now looking forward to welcoming their new baby. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sands United: 'A changing room allows men to express feelings'
An ex-professional footballer has praised a team set up for fathers who have experienced the death of a Northampton Town forward Marc Richards will be part of a team taking on Sands United in a charity match on United was first started in the town and has grown across the country with the support of the baby loss said: "A changing room is the perfect setting [to] allow [men] to express their feelings in a way they wouldn't otherwise." The 42-year-old, now a coach at Northampton Town, will line up alongside former Cobblers players Chris Dunn, Michael Harriman, and Craig Hinton, as well as BBC Radio Northampton presenter Jake said he was "really pleased" to have been asked to take part in the charity match. "Football brings lots of people together, not just men anymore," he said Sands United allowed men to "get together and just vent, and have fun, and talk and do all the things then men don't really do very well".He added: "We want men to talk. We want people to talk about the things that bother us."The former striker, who also played for Port Vale, Chesterfield and Cambridge United, admitted he "really struggled" when he retired, and it took him two years to come to terms with not playing football professionally has previously spoken about "not knowing" what he would do following his retirement, until he moved in to coaching. 'We can bottle it up' Tristan Heard from Sands United got involved in the team following the loss of his first child, Tyler, at 38 will be taking on the ex-professionals at the Fernie Fields ground in Heard said the team was crucial in allowing men to talk about their experience of baby loss."I know a lot of the time the men are seen to be the strong ones but it's not necessarily the case. We have feeling and emotions," he said."Sometimes because we are not often seen as the ones who can be emotional we can bottle it all up, and that can be unhealthy." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
