Raised: 225%
Target: £5,000.00
Raised so far: £11,234.18
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My story

 

UPDATE: A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated and enabled me to exceed my £5k target.  I am immensely grateful.

If you would like to see the combined fundraising total towards the £40k target please visit www.justgiving.com/surreysands-royal-surrey .  Further donations would still be very welcome. 

James's page for his sponsored swim can be found at www.justgiving.com/surreysands-jamescook

Dear family, friends and supporters

As many of you know, we lost our longed for daughter, Emily Jane, on 7th December 2002.  She was 8 days late and I was in full labour when we discovered her heart had stopped beating.  We will never know why our little girl died, but that day changed our lives forever. 

Last year I volunteered through Surrey Sands, part of National Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) to help Royal Surrey in its care and support of bereaved parents.  We are all volunteers, being part of a group that none of us wanted to belong to.  Run by bereaved parents for bereaved parents the group is totally self-funded with all monies raised going entirely on support services. 

Since March I have taken on a Committee role and am now the Hospital Liaison Co-ordinator covering 7 maternity units across the County.  In this, our 25th anniversary year, we have embarked on a very special Hospital Support Project to either refurbish or create a dedicated Bereavement Room in each hospital. 

It is crucial in those first few hours, or days, to be able to spend precious time with your baby creating memories that have to last an entire lifetime.  It is important to have a dedicated room cocooned away from the noise of happier arrivals to provide grieving parents with a sanctuary. 

At Royal Surrey, where Emily was born, there is an existing room called the ‘Alice Suite’ which is very close to the main maternity wards and is a small, rather clinical room.  The Hospital would like to create a new ‘Forget-Me-Not Suite’ providing a larger bedroom area, a proper en-suite bathroom and a nurses room so that baby can remain close to its parents.  We would also hope to provide space for Dad to sleep and for siblings to play.  The latest costings for this project are in the region of £40k.

We cannot bring our Emily back.  She is part of our family but just not with us in person.  Not a day goes by when we don’t think about her or wonder what she would be like at her age and what she would be doing.  It is difficult to describe the pain of losing a child for there is no word to describe it.  It lives with us forever.  Through my work with Surrey Sands I hope to bring some comfort to those who have to endure what we went through and in so doing make something positive come from something so tragic. 

If you would like to support me in creating a new ‘Forget-Me-Not Suite’ and give other parents a tranquil, private setting, I, and those to come, will be most grateful.  Your contribution will make a significant difference to a great number of families.

Thank you.
Wendy

For more information please visit:
www.surrey-sands.org.uk
www.why17.org

Note 1 - Royal Surrey is also raising money towards this project.  Any monies raised through this Justgiving page in excess of the amount required for the project will be donated to Surrey Sands to support other parents and hospitals within Surrey.

Note 2 - Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to donate: Sands gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.  All monies donated will go to Surrey Sands in aid of the ‘Forget-Me-Not Room’.  The Gift Aid element will be retained by National Sands to support their work which includes research into the causes of stillbirth.

There is no word……………………………….

A woman who loses her husband is called a widow.

A man who loses his wife is called a widower.

A child who loses its parents is called an orphan.

There is no word to describe a parent who loses a child, for there is no word to describe the pain.

A great project Wendy, good luck in reaching your target Donation by Jon, Aliy and Jacob 15/08/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

great work Wendy, all our love, J&W Donation by John&Wendy 13/08/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

A worthy cause. Good luck raising the money. Donation by Celia and Desmond 11/08/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

For beautiful Emily and for you Wendy for giving help and support to other families. Donation by Alex Stiles 10/08/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

For Emily with our love as always and best wishes Donation by Nick, Tina & Charlie Irish 04/08/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Well done Wendy.All our Love xx Donation by elizabeth and richard 04/08/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

The very best of success. Love from us all Donation by Gillian and Ian Marsh 02/08/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck with this wonderful project, this takes courage xxx Donation by Shonagh & Kelvin 25/07/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

What a wonderful project, best of luck with the target, you are such a marvel, lots of love Dawn, Gra, Lee and Katie xxx Donation by Dawn, Graeme, Lee and Katie 23/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

For Emily and anyone else who has suffered such tragic loss...What a wonderful and positive project. xx Donation by Andy and Treina 22/07/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

good luck with the project and we really admire you. Love from the Wyllies Donation by Mark & Briege Wyllie 22/07/08  

£150.00 + £42.31 Gift Aid

All the best for this fantastic project Donation by Ruth Newman 19/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Very best of luck with this worthwhile project Wendy Donation by julia riley 17/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Wishing the best of luck with your target & the whole project. Love to you all from Dianne,Kevin,Matt & Laura xxxx Donation by The Woodrows 16/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

For the 2 daughters we lost, Hannah and Dot. Donation by Stacy and Mark Thrower 16/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck with the project! Donation by Catherine and Chris 15/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck with the project. Thinking of you all, love Greg, Susanna & Isabella xx Donation by Greg, Susanna & Isabella 15/07/08  

£100.00

Wonderful project. Keep up the good work. Donation by Tracey & Neil 15/07/08  

£50.00

Keeping Emily alive in your heart and helping others - wonderful work Wendy xx Donation by Jane & Neil Barrett 14/07/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Well done and good luck. Donation by Michael Alborough 14/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Dear Wendy and Sean - a small token from the bottom of our hearts - for you all Donation by Sarah & Tim Singleton 13/07/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

What an amazing thing you're doing. With all our love... Donation by The Beaches 12/07/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Wendy you are such a superstar! we love all the Cookies and support you all the way. x Donation by sally, Tony, Louisa & Adam 11/07/08  

£50.00

In memory of Emily - and Georgia - two very special girls who never knew how much they were loved Donation by Clare Cox-Cunningham 10/07/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

A very worthwhile cause, best of luck Donation by The Harrisons 09/07/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

You are doing such a positive thing, I'm so impressed x Donation by Jebbie 09/07/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good luck with the project! Lots of love, The Wongs YNWA xxx Donation by Rach, Dom, Bellie & Buster 09/07/08  

£500.00 + £141.03 Gift Aid

What a brilliant project. Great work. Love Tarn, Lux and the boysXXX Donation by Tarn and lux 09/07/08  

£25.00

This is a fantastic project Wendy. With all our Love, Michele, Mike and the boys. Donation by Michele and Mike Bozier 07/07/08  

£150.00 + £42.31 Gift Aid

For the Cooks who we love, Lorna, Neil and girls Donation by The Harnbys 07/07/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £4,585.00
  Offline donations: £6,649.18
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £1,159.23

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