Our Memory Boxes...
We donate our handmade Memory Boxes to Airedale General Hospital in West Yorkshire.
Nothing replaces being able to leave hospital with your beautiful baby, but we hope that our boxes will provide a small amount of comfort and hope to parents, and let them know that they are not alone.
We are currently redesigning our Memory Boxes. We are moving over to a gender-neutral design, ensuring that every parent receives a Memory Box that is relevant to them and their baby, no matter how early their loss. You can find details of our new Memory Boxes further down this page.
At present, each Aidan’s Elephants Memory Box Package contains:
* A hand made Memory Box for parents to keep their precious baby’s things in. Each box is carefully lined with tissue paper and contains the keepsake items listed below.
* A clay impression kit, which contains a beautiful frame – one side holds baby’s clay prints and one side can hold a photograph.
* An ink-less wipe kit, which contains two pieces of specially treated paper, to allow parents of hospital staff to capture baby’s hand and footprints.
* A beautiful sandblasted glass candle holder, with the words 'Always Remembered, Always Loved' on, a little elephant and a star. There is an unscented tealight included with the candle holder, so that the family can light a candle for their baby on a special occasion or whenever they wish.
* A small keepsake box to keep smaller items in, such as baby's hospital ID bracelet.
* A curl box, to keep a little lock of baby's hair inside.
* A card, so the family can write a poem or letter to their baby.
* A CD to store baby's precious photographs and videos
* Two identical soft elephants, one for the family to give to the baby, and one for the family to take home. Each elephant has a ribbon around it’s neck, with a metal charm saying ‘remember’.
* A small card with a message from us on, with Aidan’s hand and footprint. The card contains our website address, where parents can find helpful information and access a list of relevant organisations/charities that can help to support them.
Aidan's Elephants Memory Boxes.
We chose to use elephants in our boxes, as elephants featured in our preparing for Aidan's arrival and in saying our goodbyes to him. His nursery was jungle-themed, and we played the song 'Baby Mine' for Aidan at his funeral. We have always loved the sentiment that 'Elephants never forget'. Our son will never be forgotten, and elephants will always make us think of him.
If you received one of our Memory Boxes when your baby passed away, and you would like to give us some feedback you are welcome to email us confidentially.
Redesign of our Memory Boxes - 2017.
Throughout the end of 2016 and the start of 2017, we have been working on a redesign of our Memory Boxes and their contents. We have supplied Airedale General Hospital with Memory Boxes for almost five years, and during that time the contents of our Memory Boxes have evolved. We want to do everything we possibly can to ensure that our Memory Boxes give parents every opportunity available to create memories with their child.
Our new Memory Boxes will feature the following additions/changes:
* We have moved away from using pink and blue Memory Boxes, and will instead be providing white, gender-neutral Memory Boxes that are inclusive for every family who has lost a child, no matter how early in pregnancy. Each box features the words "Always Remembered, Always Loved...", across the top, along with a little Aidan's Elephant and orange balloon. The boxes have a secure magnetic closure, which is secured with a beautiful printed ribbon with "Always Remembered, Always Loved..". We will continue to provide individual packaging for each box, which is removed when given to families but keeps the box safe and pristine during storage.
* The CDs (for storing baby's precious photographs and videos) will be replaced with a 64GB SD card in every Memory Box. These have been very generously donated to us by TESCO. The large amount of storage space on the SD cards allows parents to store videos along with photographs, and gives them the option to add other photographs/videos (perhaps of things that remind them of their baby, fundraising events they have done, birthday events etc) in years to come.
* We have decided to remove the clay impression kit from our Memory Boxes, as sadly not all parents are able to collect impressions (for example, if their baby's hands/feet are too fragile to press into the clay). The clay impression kits are still being provided, but will be stored outside of our Memory Boxes. Storing them separately to our Memory Boxes means that staff do not have to open the boxes to remove the clay impression kits (if necessary). Instead, staff are able to open the Memory Box with parents - which we believe is a very important process. The clay impression kits will still be offered to all parents, where impressions are able to be taken.
* Our Memory Boxes will now contain printed packs of Rosemary seeds which parents/families can plant in memory of their baby.
* We are adding a 5x7" canvas board to each of our Memory Boxes, which parents can use however they wish. We suggest that they are used (with the help of Airedale staff, who have coloured ink pads, paint pads, pens and embellishments to use on the boards) to create a canvas of baby's fingerprints, along with those of the parents and other family members.
* Each Memory Box will still contain a card for parents to write a note/letter to their baby. There will also be another card provided (stored outside of the Memory Boxes) which has an aperture frame to hold baby's hand/footprints (taken with our ink-less wipe kits). One of the wonderful Airedale Midwives personalises each card, writing baby's name/birth weight/date onto these cards in beautiful calligraphy.
If you have any suggestions for items you would like adding to our new Memory Boxes, or would like to give us any feedback - please send us an email.
Our new Memory Boxes will feature the following additions/changes:
* We have moved away from using pink and blue Memory Boxes, and will instead be providing white, gender-neutral Memory Boxes that are inclusive for every family who has lost a child, no matter how early in pregnancy. Each box features the words "Always Remembered, Always Loved...", across the top, along with a little Aidan's Elephant and orange balloon. The boxes have a secure magnetic closure, which is secured with a beautiful printed ribbon with "Always Remembered, Always Loved..". We will continue to provide individual packaging for each box, which is removed when given to families but keeps the box safe and pristine during storage.
* The CDs (for storing baby's precious photographs and videos) will be replaced with a 64GB SD card in every Memory Box. These have been very generously donated to us by TESCO. The large amount of storage space on the SD cards allows parents to store videos along with photographs, and gives them the option to add other photographs/videos (perhaps of things that remind them of their baby, fundraising events they have done, birthday events etc) in years to come.
* We have decided to remove the clay impression kit from our Memory Boxes, as sadly not all parents are able to collect impressions (for example, if their baby's hands/feet are too fragile to press into the clay). The clay impression kits are still being provided, but will be stored outside of our Memory Boxes. Storing them separately to our Memory Boxes means that staff do not have to open the boxes to remove the clay impression kits (if necessary). Instead, staff are able to open the Memory Box with parents - which we believe is a very important process. The clay impression kits will still be offered to all parents, where impressions are able to be taken.
* Our Memory Boxes will now contain printed packs of Rosemary seeds which parents/families can plant in memory of their baby.
* We are adding a 5x7" canvas board to each of our Memory Boxes, which parents can use however they wish. We suggest that they are used (with the help of Airedale staff, who have coloured ink pads, paint pads, pens and embellishments to use on the boards) to create a canvas of baby's fingerprints, along with those of the parents and other family members.
* Each Memory Box will still contain a card for parents to write a note/letter to their baby. There will also be another card provided (stored outside of the Memory Boxes) which has an aperture frame to hold baby's hand/footprints (taken with our ink-less wipe kits). One of the wonderful Airedale Midwives personalises each card, writing baby's name/birth weight/date onto these cards in beautiful calligraphy.
If you have any suggestions for items you would like adding to our new Memory Boxes, or would like to give us any feedback - please send us an email.
