Snowdrop Appeal The bereavement spaces in need of love The moment of a loss is frozen in time and remembered. The joy of a 'pregnant' test result cruelly cut short with a miscarriage; a routine scan revealing a crushing silence in place of their baby's once galloping heartbeat; the numbness felt discovering their baby is likely to live just a few days after birth or the suffocating pain that their baby has been born sleeping. The physical spaces home to these traumatic moments are critical to a family's processing and healing. We know our environments can be better. Here's what we want to do in each space. What we have to do in each space. Lavender Suite:Spending time together This private space has amazing potential to be a refuge for families. The suite is made up of a lounge, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and staff equipment side room. However, in reality the Lavender Suite feels unwelcoming, outdated and dark, with no natural light. Feedback from parents suggests that it instead intensifies the sadness of the situation. "The room was dark, had no windows, and was a very cold, sad room. The room needs colour, love and to be a place of hope in the darkest of times." This is where families go to make memories with their baby who may have been born sleeping or who died shortly after birth. These memories will last a lifetime and we want them to be cherished. Your donations will fund an artist to bring colour and warmth to the space with thoughtful artwork. We’ll bring in light boxes for natural light to make it a more hopeful and serene environment. And new sofas, chair and cushions will elevate the Lavender Suite, making the space more inviting and reflecting the staff’s commitment to treating mourning parents with dignity and respect. Mortuary viewing room: A place to say goodbye Once a mum has been discharged from hospital, the family can return to say a final goodbye to their baby. Due to its location in the hospital, the mortuary viewing room at St Michael’s Hospital has no windows and the only sound in this room is the loud air-conditioning. For families saying an incomprehensibly difficult goodbye, this can feel overwhelming and add to the hurt. With your donations, the mortuary viewing room will benefit hugely from light boxes, softening the room and making it warmer. A soft cot will be provided so parents can spend extra time with their baby and we'll install a Bluetooth radio so parents will be able to play their own music or soothing sounds. Central Delivery Suite:Soundproofing to care At the edge of a busy delivery ward in St Michael's Hospital is a room that anyone miscarrying a baby over 20 weeks gestation or delivering a stillbirth will be bought to. You can hear labour and delivery noises through the wall from the room next door, which can be extremely distressing for the families experiencing loss. We want to install soundproofing, artwork and a Bluetooth radio to support families to feel safe, comforted and secure, away from the sounds of the delivery wards. Early pregnancy clinics:Cold and clinical At St Michael's Hospital we want to improve two spaces in the early pregnancy clinic; a 'quiet room' where families often receive the news that they have miscarried and the waiting room nearby. At Weston General Hospital the early pregnancy clinic 'quiet room' (pictured) is also in need of attention. Despite the best efforts of the staff to improve them, they really need some love and consideration. Your donations will provide new blinds and artwork to make these spaces more comforting. Dimmable lights will reduce the intensity of the rooms and storage cabinets will help tidy the spaces up and allow staff to access support materials at a more suitable moment in the conversation. We'll also provide a radio so families can listen to their own music and minimise any noise they might hear from happy families outside. Gynaecology ward rooms:Life-changing moments When someone is miscarrying a baby less than 20 weeks gestation they are supported and cared for in one of two rooms on the Gynaecology Ward in St Michael's Hospital. We don't have a photo to share of this space at the moment as the rooms were sadly in use. A poignant reminder to us that loss was being experienced on the other side of the door by families as we visited the ward. With your support we can soften these clinical spaces with artwork and furnishings, and help it feel like a place of warmth during this traumatic experience. Support the Snowdrop Appeal today Manage Cookie Preferences