Uncategorised Archives - A Child of Mine

Elle’s story

client-edit — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:00:31 +0000

Today, I wanted to share something incredibly special about my beautiful, courageous, and loving daughter, Elle. It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since she gained her angel wings in January, after an 11-month journey following a double lung transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. This year, she would have celebrated her 18th birthday.

Elle lived with Cystic Fibrosis, and I truly believe that because of it, she found joy in the smallest, simplest things: precious family time, a warm cup of tea, meeting up with friends, and just being at school. She was an absolute inspiration to so many who followed her transplant journey and her heartfelt wishes. She managed to achieve almost all of them – including making a music video (“Elle’s Fight Song”), meeting Olly Murs and Rita Ora, and tirelessly promoting her chosen charities (CF Trust, GOSH, and Organ Donation). Her one unfulfilled wish was a sleepover.

Elle will forever live in our hearts, especially her sister Cara’s.

This journey reminds me every day that love truly lives on, and that together we are stronger in supporting each other through life’s most profound moments.

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Gemma’s Story

client-edit — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 14:48:34 +0000

Suddenly, midwives appeared dashing into the room, rushing to remove the brakes off my hospital bed and wheeling me as fast as they could through the corridors to the neonatal unit. A consultant greeted us there, and said: “We’ve tried everything we can, baby just isn’t responding. Hold him and spend some precious time with him,then let us know when you are ready and we’ll remove the ventilator.” This scene and those words will stay and replay in my mind forever.

Taylor fought so hard. He was perfect. His short time here taught us so much about life, it has changed us as a couple, and the way we now view everything.

I began documenting my rollercoaster of emotions as I waded through the thick mist of grief, which I found to be very brutal and lonely. Some days it felt as if I was completely drowning. Looking back now, the small things which are usually trivial were then massive. You hold onto every word people say to you, some are positive and others not so, some people even ignored me.

Over the next two years I continued to write everything I could down, Each experience, negative or positive, every thought too. I began to place it all together and decided to compile it into a book, not just to help me, but to help others too. I split the book into three sections; Baby loss, Pregnancy after loss and A rainbow baby. All of which come with their own anxieties and emotions. I have tried to write the book in such a way that it will help others who are just beginning or those who have overcome their journeys of grief.

You are not alone on this journey, it is one that none of us wanted to be on, it’s cold, dark, raw and lonely, no one understands unless they have experienced it, there’s just no way you can begin to explain it to them for them to understand.

There is no time scale to grieve, it affects everyone differently and we all deal with it in our own way, just do what you can and what you’re comfortable with.

Reach out for support, don’t be afraid to say no to others if you’re not having a good day, we’re all still trying to find our new level of normal, remember it’s ok not to be ok.

I promise you all that you are feeling is normal. The days do begin to become lighter, the waves of grief become gentler over time, they will never go away, we just learn to ride them.

I do believe we will be reunited one day with our beautiful children. xxx

“If I hadn’t had the support from a child of mines baby loss group Snowdrops with Jane and Phil, I can honestly say I’m not sure if I would be here today.

You are plunged into a lonely world of the most painful grief, your entire life you had planned ripped apart. Your brain just cannot process it, all that you were looking forward now gone and none existent.

It took me a while to build up the courage to attend a support group meeting, but when I finally did I was amazed at how many people were there. It was a relaxed setting with tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits. Everyone was very friendly and supportive to one another.

We sat and chatted if we wanted or we could just sit and listen. It was a safe space, without any judgement, it also gave me a sense of relief hearing others stories my sense of loneliness was beginning to lift. There were people who understood what I couldn’t explain to others that had not experienced a baby passing away.”

Below is my rainbow baby Cole with Taylor’s bear and Taylor xxx

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Coping with the loss of a child with Irwin Mitchell

client-edit — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:27:57 +0000

Every year, over 22,000 parents and carers experience the tragedy of losing a child. To observe National Bereaved Parents Day, Irwin Mitchell’s podcast explores the coping mechanisms and legal support available for grieving parents.

Laura Daly is joined by Gayle Routledge, Chief Executive Officer of A Child of Mine, consultant psychiatrist Dr Richard Caplan, and Andy Swinburne, an Irwin Mitchell client who has experienced the loss of a child. They’ll discuss support networks, the impact on mental health, and how you can keep your child’s memory alive.

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*CHANGE OF VENUE – Watercolour Experience

client-edit — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:29:57 +0000

PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE HAS BEEN A VENUE CHANGE FOR THIS EVENT.

What an wonderful and unique opportunity to paint your very own incredible watercolour with artist Kevin Benson. Kev is a highly qualified watercolour artist and counsellor, who has many years experience and used art as therapy within his counselling sessions.

In these workshops I promise that you will produce a piece of work that will blow you away. You do not need to be able to draw or have any experience as Kevin will guide you through every step of the way.

The cost includes refreshment’s throughout the session, lunch and all the materials needed to create your masterpiece.

Places are limited so please make sure you book quickly by emailing Catherine at friends@achildofmine.org.uk letting us know either morning or afternoon session and any dietary requirements.

We cannot wait to see your works of art!

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Thank you to Unknown Marketing for their help sourcing a laptop!

client-edit — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:56:52 +0000

A huge thank you to Unknown Marketing who saved the day by sourcing us a laptop when one of ours had broken.

Joe had been sourcing second hand laptops to provide to charities and schools during the lockdown and we are so grateful Joe offered to help.

THANK YOU!

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Our Space is going digital! 💻📱

client-edit — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 09:09:38 +0000

Our Space is going digital!

Our Space is a safe place where bereaved young people can meet and build confidence through creative activities and humour.

Join us for our next session from the comfort of your own home using video-calling software. You can use your phone, iPad or computer and it is really quick and easy to set up.

We will be hosting a quiz and any other games we can come up with. It’s going to be a lot of fun!

Any bereaved young person and their families will be warmly welcomed to join us.

We are in this together – let’s stay connected

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Support groups to go online

client-edit — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 13:57:16 +0000

We are moving our support groups online!

During these incredibly uncertain and isolating times, we want you to know that you are not alone. We want to keep supporting everyone in the best possible way that we can so we have scheduled our upcoming support groups to run via video-calling software.

You can use your phone, iPad or computer, it is really quick and easy to set up and you can do it from the comfort of your own home so please do join us if you can. Just drop us an email at hello@achilofmine.org.uk or call us for details of how to join each meeting.

Star Cafe & Help Point welcomes anyone affected by the death of a child to join us for a cuppa (on your sofa), a listening ear and to talk to people who truly understand.

We are in this together – let’s stay connected

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Sunshine & Rainbows

client-edit — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 11:49:53 +0000

Playgroups for bereaved parents in Staffordshire

We are delighted to announce that A Child Of Mine will be hosting 2 new stay and play playgroups in Staffordshire. These will run once a month at Walton Community Centre in Stone – Staffordshire from 2pm – 4pm .

Sunshine and Rainbows are playgroups for bereaved parents and their children born before or after loss.

Anyone affected by the death of a child or baby is welcome to join us (FREE OF CHARGE) in a safe and friendly environment and meet others who understand. Different local entertainers booked every month – light refreshments and a listening ear!

The dates for 2020 are:

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Choosing a headstone for your child

client-edit — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 12:53:47 +0000

A memorial headstone for your child is a lasting tribute and symbol of remembrance and can be such an important focal point when dealing with your grief. But, it is very important to consider the following factors before making your decision.

Initially we would recommend that you speak to the cemetery or churchyard to check what rules they have in place, which may regulate what type of stone can be erected. They can vary quite often from place to place and you will also need to get permission from the cemeteries management before you can put your memorial in place. So do take time to check what restrictions may be put upon you, your stonemason should also be able to assist and advise you too.

It is also useful to know that normally a headstone cannot be laid for around 6 months after a burial. This is just to ensure that the ground has settled and the stone will not tilt or lean. This does not apply however, for a burial of cremation memorials or vases.

When choosing your stonemason we would recommend that they belong to the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) or the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM). They should be able to give you a wealth of advice on choosing the correct stone for you and ideas on inscriptions and lettering. Do ask for pricing and quotes though, as they will vary greatly depending on your design, how the lettering is done i.e. hand carved, sandblasted or by machine and the churchyard fees and VAT.

When your final decisions are done for your memorial, do take great care and check all the working and spelling before placing your order and signing. The upkeep and maintenance of the memorial once it is positioned is your responsibility however, most stonemasons now can offer an insurance policy to protect against theft and any damage, we would highly recommend an insurance is taken out; as if your memorial does become unsafe certain steps may be taken to lay it down or even remove it. Your stonemason may also offer an annual maintenance scheme to clean and attend to any minor problems with your stone.

The definitive Guide to Headstones

We have been made aware about a website called the Headstone Guide – it is a site dedicated to choosing a stone and what considerations you need to be mindful of. The purpose of this guide is to help you make a more informed decision without letting your emotions cloud your judgement.

Memorials by Artists for Young People – Children and Babies

This is a new guide that aims to help families who are facing the extremely hard task of finding a memorial to celebrate the life of their child from before birth to young adult. A great variety of work is shown in stone – slate and wood from the traditional and classical to unusual and uplifting contemporary work. There are articles offering practical advice on subjects from wording to children’s involvement.

Contact: www.memorialsbyartists.co.uk

Tel: 01728688934

Visit Website

National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM)

1 Castle Mews
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 2XL
Tel: 01788 542264
Fax: 01788 542276
email: enquiries@namm.org.uk

Visit website

British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM)

Telphone: 01788 544963
Fax: 01823 253681
Email: bramm@bramm-uk.org
c/o SLCC
8 The Crescent
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 4EA

Visit website

The following sites are all specialists in children’s headstones and memorials…

Fergus Wessel

Fergus is a letter cutter who specialises in hand carved headstones and fine memorials for children. Having five children himself – he has been touched by the families who have approached him over the years – and he believes that every family deserves a compassionate & personal approach when commissioning a headstone for a child.

Fergus encourages families to be involved in the design of the memorial whenever possible – and will draft and re-draft a design until it perfectly captures the spirit of the child and the sentiments the parents want to convey. This takes time and patience and must not be hurried. Based in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds – just over an hour from London – Fergus encourages visitors to his workshop and has work all over the UK including St Pauls Cathedral.

Fergus Wessel’s Stone Workshop

Spring Cottage

Green Lane

Milton under Wychwood

OX7 6JY

Tel: 07779 294 673

Vi sit website

Gallery of children’s memorials

A video interview with Fergus

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Another Post

Red Box — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 12:20:16 +0000

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