Amanda Holden launches 'Theo's Hope' appeal for bereaved parents in Manchester
The Tommy's Research Centre at St Mary's Hospital will benefit from funding to provide a specialist bereavement counsellor.
Last updated 11th Oct 2018
Greater Manchester's been chosen as the first place in the UK to receive new funding for a specialist bereavement counsellor - to support parents who suffer the loss of a baby.
The charity Tommy's has teamed up with Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden to create Theo's Hope - a fund in memory of Amanda's son.
She's pledged to raise ÂŁ100,000 pounds for the Rainbow Clinic at St Mary's Hospital which has helped more than 600 families through bereavement in its first 5 years.
The clinic supports mums and dads through subsequent pregnancies on the fifth floor of the hospital, away from the main antenatal unit, offering families the specialist care they need in an appropriate environment.
Amanda said: "Without access to bereavement counsellors grieving women struggle to move on. Many will develop depression, putting extra pressure on our stretched NHS – so stopping that seems a fairly simple fix to me.
Initially we hope to fund one full- time counsellor at Tommy's Stillbirth Research Centre in Manchester. Then, hopefully, in the future it can be rolled out across the NHS.
There is never a 'cure' for the pain of losing a baby but you can be healed in a way that lets you get on with your life."
Specialist midwife at the Rainbow Clinic, Louise Stephens (pictured below), told us it's going to bolster the comprehensive support they already offer parents: "It's absolutely amazing to be leading the way. Every family that has been through a bereavement should have access to a counsellor and that sadly doesn't happen at the moment.
"There are long waiting lists and it can be a post code lottery but to have this direct contact with a counsellor is going to make a massive difference to the families in our care.
"We understand that families are really scared in a pregnancy after they've suffered a loss so we work with them to offer reassurance and support whenever they need it. They have the contact number of a named midwife, they get specialist scans, continuity of care and early interventions. We do have to remember that every family is different so it's very important to provide individualized care."
"It is a very rewarding job and I'm really luck to be at the birth of some of these rainbow babies. It's a really special time and they're moments you don't forget."
The money will fund a counsellor full time for two years at the centre and it's hoped the scheme will be rolled out across the country.