West London Sands Helps Bereavement Suite At West Middlesex

Will help support parents suffering the loss of a baby

‘A moment in our arms...a lifetime in our hearts’

West London Sands, a local group of the SANDS charity, is a voluntary organisation that offers support to anyone affected by the loss of a baby. The Butterfly Bereavement Suite, which has recently opened at the West Middlesex Hospital, will now benefit from a donation from the charity, following fundraising by parents who are members of the group.

On Friday, (25th September), a £1,000 cheque was handed over to the Queen Mary Unit at the hospital.  Paula Sagnier and Lynn Lacey, volunteers from WLS, have already helped Sally Kelly, West Middlesex Bereavement Midwife, putting up pictures and arranging the rooms to be as calm and tranquil as possible.

The money from WLS will provide many of the extras such as tea and coffee making facilities and comfortable furnishings that will help to make the rooms in this Suite a place where parents can find the privacy and peace they need at this very sad time.  

The cheque was handed over by Nick and Alla Maniatakis, whose first daughter, Eleni, was stillborn at West Middlesex Hospital five years ago. They have since had two more daughters, also born at West Middlesex. Nick is Treasurer of West London Sands; Lynn Lacey, Chairperson of WLS (second from left) was also there for the ceremonial handing over of the cheque.

WLS is a small but busy charity. They have trained volunteer Befrienders who provide one-to-one phone support and who run monthly meetings for bereaved parents. They also work closely with local hospitals to improve care for parents who experience the stillbirth or early death of their baby. WLS recently donated £500 to the Chelsea and Westminster Bereavement Suite and they have funded a specialist bereavement training day for midwives at Hillingdon Hospital. There are current plans in hand to give both financial and practical help to the maternity bereavement services at Northwick Park Hospital.

The WLS committee is a small number of people, all themselves bereaved parents.

If you have experienced the loss of a baby, perhaps some time ago, and feel able to get involved or offer any help in any way, please contact them – they would be very glad to hear from you. Email address: info@westlondonsands.org.uk ; phone number : 07710010026

September 25, 2015