New baby loss garden gives sanctuary for parents

It is hoped the hospital's new Butterfly Garden will provide grieving parents with a quiet sanctuary

Parents grieving the loss of their babies can now find comfort in a specially-designed garden decorated with butterfly sculptures and bearing names in tribute.

The Butterfly Garden is being unveiled at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn, Norfolk, to mark national Baby Loss Awareness Week.

It will form part of the hospital's Butterfly Suite, which opened two years ago, to give parents a quiet space to grieve for babies who died during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

Chief executive Alice Webster said the garden was a "sanctuary - a place for peace, where anyone who has experienced the unimaginable pain of losing a baby can come to find comfort and support".

"The Butterfly Garden stands as a lasting tribute to the lives of the babies we have lost and a testament to the strength and resilience of the families and our hospital community," she said.

From left: Jonathan Ferguson and Josh Clark from landscapers Gavin Jones with Louise Tomney, chief executive Alice Webster, Emily Lunny, Steve Adcock, Sophie Button and Verity Gamble, assisted by young helpers Trent Gamble and Athena Lunny

The haven, scattered with purple metal butterflies hand-forged by local blacksmith Nigel Barnett and decorated with babies' names, has taken two years to create.

Some of the bereaved involved in the planning recently visited for a symbolic release of butterflies.

Families, staff, community organisations and specialist bereavement midwives have come together to share ideas for the project, funded by the hospital's charity.

The QEH Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) has also helped shape the garden with special care taken over letting parents decide details such as the shades of purple used.

The purple metal butterflies made by blacksmith Nigel Barnett are decorated with babies's names

Emily Lunny says the hospital has the right resources and facilities in place to support families

Partnership leader Emily Lunny said: "While nothing can take away the pain of losing a baby, the team at QEH has ensured we have the resources and facilities to best support women and families on this difficult journey."

King's Lynn Rock Choir will perform at the opening, where families and staff can gather together.

The hospital will also hold the national Sands charity - which supports bereaved families - Baby Loss Memorial Service in its Sacred Space on Sunday at 15:00 BST.

The Arthur Levin Day Surgery Unit will be lit in distinctive blue and pink colours on Tuesday, 15 October at 19:00 to mark the end of the week, in a show of support for families who light candles for their babies on this day.

A baby loss memorial service will be held at the hospital on Sunday