Wednesday 27th April 2011

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital is once again holding a Service of Remembrance for parents who have lost their children.

The annual event has taken place at the Royal for the past 20 years as part of the ongoing support for families who have lost babies and children through miscarriage, stillbirth, illness or accident. It is always set to take place on the Sunday after the Easter weekend, falling this year on Sunday May 1st.

Lyn Guerriero is one of the birth centre co-ordinators and was instrumental in introducing this event to the Royal. One of Lyn's roles is to offer a bereavement service to parents who have gone through this experience.

She said: "Because the event is at a set time in the calendar every year we get a lot of people coming back each year and a lot of those who do come say how much of a comfort it is. It can be an emotional occasion but to have so many people there who have shared the same experience makes them realise that they aren't alone."

The afternoon will include readings, songs and the recital of the names of their baby or child to enable parents to light a candle if they wish and each family will also be handed a balloon to release as a symbol of their loss. 

Families will also have the opportunity to write on a tag that is attached to the balloon and write a message or sign a memorial book that will be available. These changes were introduced last year after talking to former visitors about what they would like to see introduced to the event.

Trust Chaplain John Butterfield conducts the reading and writes the order of service, he said: "We try and avoid being overly religious because we want to be able to include as many people as possible. We have a number of the nursing staff here and we are all available after the service to talk to families about their experience and offer any further help and advice."

The service starts at 3pm and is held in a large, extended marquee in car park five.

It is open to everyone, allowing families and friends to come along and has been very well attended over the past few years with upwards of 200 people at last year's event.

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