When Oliver was stillborn this year, we were utterly devastated.  Not only had we lost our darling boy before he even took a breath, but we realised we had nothing physical of his to keep for the months and years to come.  We hadn't even brought his bag into the hospital as we knew by that stage that we would leave without him.  

Our first encounter with Sands was through their work with hospitals and the items they provide for families like us.  We were just one of an average 17 families per day in the UK alone who experience this tragedy.  Sadly, this figure has not reduced in the past 20 years which is why the work Sands does is so very crucial. 

Through Sands, we were given clothes, a blanket and even a teddy for his cot so that our short time with him could be as normal as possible.  The midwife had a disposable camera to take pictures of him in case we weren't up to it at the time and would regret having no photos of him for the rest of our lives.  We were even given a book which documented his personal details, birth weight, a lock of his hair and even hand and footprints.  Thanks to Sands, we now have some tangible memories of Oliver to keep forever.  This is before I mention the information leaflets and ongoing support they offer to help us, our family and our friends cope with this heartbreak and the reseach they fund to try and find out why this still happens in this day and age.

Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby, works in partnership with health professionals to try to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care, and funds research that could help to reduce the numbers of babies dying and families devastated by this tragedy. 

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