Hospital clock tower to turn pink and blue for Baby Loss Awareness Week

Medway Maritime Hospital’s distinctive clock tower will be lit up in pink and blue illuminations from 9 to 15 October in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 19th year, is an opportunity for bereaved parents, families and their friends, to commemorate babies’ lives, raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, and to drive forward improvements in both care and support for those affected and to save babies’ lives in the future.

Yvonne Morrison, Bereavement Midwife at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We hope turning the hospital clock tower pink and blue will spark conversations about baby loss and give our local bereaved parents and families an opportunity to talk about their precious babies. It is not acknowledged enough how baby loss at any stage of pregnancy or after birth affects all generations of the family and how support should be offered to all.’’

This year Baby Loss Awareness Week will be exploring the theme of wellbeing and sharing what has helped people affected by pregnancy and baby loss to recover and build a life after loss.

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity), said: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is a unique opportunity for parents, grandparents, siblings and wider family and friends to come together and remember their babies who have died, however long ago.

“For anyone whose baby has died, however recent or long ago, the world is changed forever, and there is no simple answer to grief. Finding ways to cope and look after yourself or your partner is different for everyone.

“I hope that Medway Maritime Hospital’s clock tower being lit up pink and blue will help start more conversations about pregnancy and baby loss, and by doing so help bereaved parents and families feel more able to talk about their babies and find ways to look after themselves and others.”

All of the buildings and landmarks turning pink and blue for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021 will be featured on the interactive map and on the official Baby Loss Awareness UK Facebook page. Anyone in Medway can share their photos of Medway Maritime Hospital clock tower on social media with the hashtags #BLAW #BLAW2021 and #BabyLoss.