On October 15th at 7pm, families all around the world light candles in memory of the children they have loved and lost.

The varying time zones around the globe mean that a beautiful 'wave of light' is created, and for one night - the entire world is lit up with candles that shine for our children. Acknowledging their lives, acknowledging our loss, and giving us all the courage to say their names and share their stories.

Please join us in lighting a candle.

We would like to invite you to share a photograph of your candle with us, along with your child's name and/or special dates. The photographs will be put together to create a beautiful Wave of Light 2017 Photo-Collage on this page.

You can share your candle with us by posting a photograph in the comments on this page, or by posting it under our Wave of Light 2017 photograph which will appear on Facebook and Twitter at 7pm on October 15th.

Wishing you a peaceful October 15th, remembering your precious little ones..

As one of over 40 charities which work together for Baby Loss Awareness Week, Aidan's Elephants was invited to attend two very special events which will take place today in the Houses of Parliament, London.

The Parliamentary launch of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2017
Wednesday 11th Oct, 13:00 – 15:00, Jubilee Room, off Westminster Hall
Both the Minister of Health Philip Dunne MP and the Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders MP will speak at the event, along with parents giving their personal accounts of baby loss. Dr Clea Harmer, CEO of the charity Sands, will present the draft National Bereavement Care Pathway, a comprehensive resource for professionals to enable them to provide excellent support for bereaved parents at whatever point their baby dies.  The Pathway will be launched across a eleven pilot sites for testing this October, and has been developed in partnership with parents, professionals, charities, commissioners and other stakeholders.  The Pathway has been made possible thanks to funding from the Department of Health and support from the APPG on Baby Loss. Invitations to the event have been given to MPs and Peers interested in baby loss and related issues, along with two members of each Baby Loss Awareness Alliance charity/non-profit.

Remembrance Event
Wednesday 11th Oct, 15:15 – St Mary’s Undercroft, off Westminster Hall
This event is a non-denominational remembrance service open to all invitees of the Parliamentary launch, as well as all MPs, Peers and Houses of Parliament staff.  The service will include a reading, hymns and a prayer.

As we are unable to travel up to London ourselves this year, we have asked two representatives to attend in our place. We are honoured to have Bev Beaumont (Bereavent Midwife, ANHSFT) and Gemma Sayer (Midwife, member of the Bereavement Team, ANHSFT) representing us in celebration of the bereavement care partnership between Aidan's Elephants and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust's Bereavement Team. They will be keeping us informed as events unfold today, and we look forward to sharing updates with you on Twitter, Facebook and here on this page.

 A core group of charities and professional bodies are leading the development of a National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss.

Kicking off Baby Loss Awareness Week 2017, which focuses on the theme of better bereavement care for parents, Sands launched the NBCP pilot yesterday. 11 sites in England, representative of geography, capacity and specialism, have been selected to trial the use of new materials, guidelines and training for professionals to help improve the care bereaved parents receive. The 11 sites will work with the NBCP project team to understand the impact and the effectiveness of the pathway on improving bereavement care for parents.

The NBCP has the support of the Department of Health and has been developed to improve bereavement care for parents and families at all stages of pregnancy and baby loss up to 12 months.

This is a huge step forwards in addressing the postcode lottery of bereavement care for parents in the UK. Every family is entitled to and must receive outstanding care following the loss of their baby or young child.

The 11 sites are:
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital
- Liverpool Women’s Hospital Trust
- York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
- Hull & East Yorkshire NHS Trust
- Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
- Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (Barnstaple Hospital)
- Medway (Maritime) NHS Foundation Trust
- West Middlesex, Chelsea & Westminster
- Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Trust - Queens Hospital, Romford
- Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

The National Bereavement Care Pathway Core Group consists of:
- Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity)
- Bliss
- The Lullaby Trust
- The Miscarriage Association
- ARC (Antenatal Results & Choices)
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Royal College of Midwives
- Royal College of Nursing
- Neonatal Nurses Association
- Institute of Health Visiting
- NHS England
- Representative of the UK health research community