Support
Set up in 2005, Forget-me-not Families is a group run by bereaved parents who aim to provide as many kinds of support as possible for parents and families who have lost a baby during pregnancy, birth or early life.
Buddies
We have a small group of 'buddies' who are always on hand to give a call to bereaved parents if they request one after they leave Worthing Hospital. This takes the onus off of the parents as, in our own experiences, we found it hard to pick up a phone and talk to a stranger at the most traumatic time in our lives. This can vary from a one-off phone conversation to meeting up for a coffee and, in some cases goes on to building an ongoing friendship with someone who knows exactly how they feel. They key thing is that it is solely what the
parents want and that they know that someone else is there if they need to talk.
Facilities at Worthing Hospital
With funds that we raise, we aim to ensure that bereaved parents stay at Worthing Hospital can be as comfortable as it ever can be in the circumstances. Being somewhere so clinical at a time of distress can be difficult so we try to provide the kind of in-room facilities that make it that little bit easier.
Memory boxes
All bereaved parents are given a memory box in which they can place all the keep-sakes that are so important at such a difficult time. The normal contents of these boxes include a card from Forget-me-not Families and
a memory book.
Coffee and chat evenings
Some bereaved parents find our coffee and chat evenings helpful to talk to others who have been through similar circumstances and understand how they are feeling and coming to terms with the loss of a
baby in a relaxed environment. These sessions 'go with the flow' and our buddies assist
(including making all teas and coffees and opening the biscuits!) as it also helps us by talking about our own experiences.
Baby Loss balloon releases
Every October, we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week with a balloon release at Goring seafront that runs simultaneously with other
releases taking place up and down the country. These events are very thought-provoking and allow parents
a clear opportunity away from the other stresses in life to remember their loved one and watch the beautiful
sight of all the balloons being released into the sky at the same time.