 These precious little hand and footprints* belong to baby Isaac Joe Wilkinson, who was born sleeping on the 23rd of June 2017. On the 2nd of September, Isaac Joe's family and friends held a fundraising event at the Dickie Bird in Keighley. The night featured local live bands along with a raffle and tombola. £2000 was raised in Isaac Joe's honour, which his parents Laura and Joe split equally and donated to both Aidan's Elephants and The Sunbeam Support Group. Laura says: "The Memory Box has given us something of our son we never thought we would have had. It takes pride of place in our living room and we open it often. From the moment we saw the Memory Box we said how beautiful it was, and knew we wanted to help others who sadly need the boxes. After coming home from the hospital we wanted to occupy ourselves, so we got stuck in with organising the charity event. The evening was truly amazing and we felt some sense of achievement for Isaac Joe." The £1000 we have received in Isaac Joe's memory will pay for approximately 38 grieving families to receive an Aidan's Elephants Memory Box, giving each family the opportunity to create precious memories with their little one before they sadly say goodbye. Isaac Joe's family and friends - we can not thank you enough for all your support. You have already achieved so much for your beautiful boy, and he has a legacy that will help many other families who sadly walk in your shoes. * Prints edited/shared with permission from Isaac Joe's parents.
For many years, the staff at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust (ANHSFT) have been exploring the idea of creating a baby memorial garden within the hospital grounds. In July this year, with the help of David Moss (Deputy Director of Strategy, Business Development, Estates and Facilities at ANHSFT), a secure area within the hospital grounds was approved by The Airedale Foundation Trust Board. Finding a secure, private area was particularly important, as the garden has been planned around the concept of a memorial statue which parents can attach their babies' names to. Airedale NHS Foundation Trust's Head Gardener, Steve Marshall has worked closely with the Bereavement Team and local families, to drawn up designs for the garden.  The Baby Memorial Garden will be named 'The Sunbeam Garden', due to it's vast support from families who attend the local bereaved parents support group which is run by Airedale Midwives.
The Bereavement team and supporting co-workers at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust have worked (and are working) incredibly hard to create a safe, special place for bereaved families in the local area to visit and remember their children. We look forward to sharing progress with you as this beautiful project continues. If you would like to help with the Sunbeam Garden in any way, please get in touch. Earlier this year we (Aidan's Elephants) nominated both Airedale Hospital's Bereavement Team and Bev Beaumont (Airedale's Bereavement Midwife) for Butterfly Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate inspirational contributions to supporting families who have lost a baby or young child. Both Bev and the Bereavement Team have been successful in being shortlisted. We would like to ask for your support in voting for these wonderful people, who dedicate so much of their time and love to supporting families who have lost their precious babies. You can find out more about why we nominated Bev and the Airedale's Bereavement Team below.  Best Bereavement Support Worker: |
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