Hi everyone,

We decided this year to raise money in memory of our daughter Hazel Madeline West. Hazel passed away unexpectedly on the 30th of January 2021 during labor at the West Suffolk Hospital. We went to the hospital, at 40 weeks pregnant during lockdown, as contractions and labor started, and we left 4 days later with a memory box instead of our child in our arms, an empty car seat in the car, our luggages still full of unfolded baby clothes and arrived to a silent and empty nursery at home.

Not many are aware but we are extremely lucky at the West Suffolk Hospital, to have a bereavement suite at the maternity department which means that when you give birth to a stillborn baby and/or are in recovery, you are not in the ward with other mums/babies (which sadly happened in some others hospitals). We were able to stay in the bereavement suite 4 days, having proper care with the best midwives, every single day. During these 4 days we were also able to have Hazel with us thanks to a cuddle cot, and we were also able to see her everyday (even after we left the hospital) until her funeral as they let us borrow some rooms with cuddle cot. The maternity bereavement team, were also amazing when we were preparing to welcome Hazel's little sister, Lottie, in 2022, and were here at every single step to make sure she will arrive safely to the world. We will always be grateful for the maternity bereavement team with Justine and the rainbow clinic at the West Suffolk Hospital.

In average in the UK, 2850 babies are stillborn every year which is around 8 babies everyday, so this is not as rare as what people think (for comparison, we talk a lot about cot death, which is 182 death a year). These bereavement department and suites are more than needed in maternity.

For that reason, Sam decided to challenge himself and is running the Snowdon marathon on the 12.07.25 and wants to raise fund for the Maternity Bereavement Team at the West Suffolk Hospital.

Thank you in advance for your contribution