Memory BoxesCREATING MEMORIES“When someone we love dies, we often share memories and stories of them with other people. We may treasure certain objects that remind us of them and the times we had together. When your baby has died around the time of birth you may only have a few memories of him or her. You may also have very few physical memories. Hospital staff now offer parents opportunities to create memories and collect mementoes that will help them to remember their baby”“Saying Goodbye to your baby”, produced by SandsMEMORY BOXESDerby Sands have been providing memory boxes to the labour ward at the Royal Derby Hospital since August 2009, so that midwives can help grieving parents collect special memories of their baby.The memory box scheme in Derby was initiated by Lou Evans, after the stillbirth of her baby girl in January 2009. She recognised the need to have a special box in which to collect treasured memories of her baby and she was aware that some hospitals in the UK already provided such boxes. Using some of the donations that she raised after Lauren’s funeral, Lou made up 50 memory boxes and these are being distributed and very gratefully received by bereaved parents on the labour suite.. Derby Sands continues to fund the memory boxes for Labour ward and in August 2010, Lou launched the memory box scheme on the neonatal unit, by providing them with 5 memory boxes made up by herself and funded by Derby Sands. The "Friends of the Baby Unit" charity have agreed to continue funding the boxes for the Neonatal Unit.Each memory box contains:Hand-knitted blanket (donated by members of the community)A teddy bear (some parents give the bear to their baby, others like to keep it and put the baby’s name tags on the teddy)A sands “always loved, never forgotten” candleAn information pack containing Sands booklets, leaflets and an invitation to the Derby Sands support groupA hand-made card containing small plastic bags (for cuttings of baby’s hair) and space to place foot and hand prints.Derby Sands also provide digital camera memory cards which are given to parents who do not have their own camera. They are then able to use the digital camera that belongs to labour suite and keep the memory card afterwards.Each memory box and its contents costs approximately £10. The memory cards cost an additional £5 each. If you would like to make a donation towards our memory box scheme and really help make a difference to newly bereaved parents then please click here to visit our Donations page. Thank you.If you are a keen knitter then we desperately need you! We rely upon supporters of Sands to knit the baby blankets for our memory boxes. Any white, cream or ivory knitted or crocheted baby blanket is gratefully received. You will also find a knitting pattern, click here for a blanket that fits perfectly in the boxes, as well as instructions on where to deliver the blankets. Many thanks in anticipation.MINI MEMORY BOXESDerby Sands acknowledge that the death of a baby during pregnancy is a devastating experience, whateverthe gestation of the baby. For this reason, Lou Evans (member of Derby Sands) launched a mini memory box project on the gynaecologyward at the Royal Derby Hospital in November 2010. The mini memory box is very similar to the standardmemory box except everything is much smaller.Each mini memory box contains:Hand-knitted blanket (donated by members of the community)A mini teddy bear (some parents give the bear to their baby, others prefer to keep it themselves)A sands “always loved, never forgotten” candleAn information pack containing Sands booklets, leaflets and an invitation to the Derby Sands supportgroupA hand-made card to write details of the baby’s birth in and to place the baby’s hand and foot prints in. These boxes are given out, at the discretion of the specialist bereavement midwife and nurse to parents whohave lost their baby after 12 weeks gestation and have to go through labour and birth on the gynaecologicalward.Each mini memory box and its contents costs approximately £9.If you would like to make a donation towards our mini memory box scheme and really help make adifference to newly bereaved parents then please click here to visit our Donations page. Thank you.If you are a keen knitter then we desperately need you! We rely upon supporters of Sands to knit the baby blankets for our mini memory boxes. Any white, cream or ivory knitted or crocheted baby blanket is gratefully received – approximate sizes ranging from 6 inch square to 12 inch square. You will also find a knitting pattern, click here for a blanket that fits perfectly in the boxes, as well as instructions on where to deliver the blankets. Many thanks in anticipation.Charity registration number 299679
Memory Boxes
CREATING MEMORIES
“When someone we love dies, we often share memories and stories of them with other people. We may
treasure certain objects that remind us of them and the times we had together.
When your baby has died around the time of birth you may only have a few memories of him or her. You may
also have very few physical memories. Hospital staff now offer parents opportunities to create memories and
collect mementoes that will help them to remember their baby”
“Saying Goodbye to your baby”, produced by Sands
MEMORY BOXES
Derby Sands have been providing memory boxes to the labour ward at the Royal Derby Hospital since August
2009, so that midwives can help grieving parents collect special memories of their baby.
The memory box scheme in Derby was initiated by Lou Evans, after the stillbirth of her baby girl in January
2009. She recognised the need to have a special box in which to collect treasured memories of her baby and
she was aware that some hospitals in the UK already provided such boxes. Using some of the donations that
she raised after Lauren’s funeral, Lou made up 50 memory boxes and these are being distributed and very
gratefully received by bereaved parents on the labour suite..
Derby Sands continues to fund the memory boxes for Labour ward and in August 2010, Lou launched the
memory box scheme on the neonatal unit, by providing them with 5 memory boxes made up by herself and
funded by Derby Sands. The "Friends of the Baby Unit" charity have agreed to continue funding the boxes for
the Neonatal Unit.
Each memory box contains:
Hand-knitted blanket (donated by members of the community)
A teddy bear (some parents give the bear to their baby, others like to keep it and put the baby’s name
tags on the teddy)
A sands “always loved, never forgotten” candle
An information pack containing Sands booklets, leaflets and an invitation to the Derby Sands support
group
A hand-made card containing small plastic bags (for cuttings of baby’s hair) and space to place foot
and hand prints.
Derby Sands also provide digital camera memory cards which are given to parents who do not have their own
camera. They are then able to use the digital camera that belongs to labour suite and keep the memory card
afterwards.
Each memory box and its contents costs approximately £10. The memory cards cost an additional £5 each.
If you would like to make a donation towards our memory box scheme and really help make a difference
to newly bereaved parents then please click here to visit our Donations page. Thank you.
If you are a keen knitter then we desperately need you! We rely upon supporters of Sands to knit the baby
blankets for our memory boxes. Any white, cream or ivory knitted or crocheted baby blanket is gratefully
received. You will also find a knitting pattern, click here for a blanket that fits perfectly in the boxes, as
well as instructions on where to deliver the blankets. Many thanks in anticipation.
MINI MEMORY BOXES
Derby Sands acknowledge that the death of a baby during pregnancy is a devastating experience, whatever
the gestation of the baby.
For this reason, Lou Evans (member of Derby Sands) launched a mini memory box project on the gynaecology
Charity registration number 299679
