When baby Rosie was born in September 2015, her parents Joanne and Jonathan knew they would only have a short time to spend with her. They came to Bluebell Wood after one-day-old Rosie had passed away, providing the family precious moments together that they will treasure forever.

During Joanne’s pregnancy, the couple were given the devastating news their baby had a type of fatal brittle bone disease.  “When she was born, Rosie did really well at first, she was clearly such a fighter and was alert; looking up at us all of the time. She was beautiful,” explained Joanne.

The family, of Rotherham, stayed at Bluebell Wood for ten days in an end of life suite, giving the family time together to say their goodbyes. They also had space and time to prepare for Rosie’s funeral, with care team members on hand for help and support.

Joanne said: “Bluebell Wood is such a lovely and special place. Being here gave us chance to have time with Rosie that we thought we would never have. We could see her whenever we wanted, our family and friends could visit to say their goodbyes with no visiting hours in place and we had beautiful moulds of Rosie’s feet created – amazing memories.”

Bluebell Wood also offers support for siblings. So throughout the ten day stay, Rosie’s two-year-old sister, Pippa, was able to have fun in Bluebell Wood’s gardens and spend time doing many activities, including making crafts, with the care team.

“The weather was lovely when we were staying at Bluebell Wood, so Pippa really enjoyed being outside. Being together here meant Jonathan and I had time to grieve knowing Pippa was in safe hands, while she was also having fun,” added Joanne.

The family attended Bluebell Wood’s annual Remembering Day the weekend they were staying at the hospice and are planning to attend a bereavement group soon. “Just knowing the door is always open for support is incredible,” said Joanne.

In the months after Rosie passed away, the family raised more than £2,000 to donate to Bluebell Wood. They also plan to organise fundraising events in Rosie’s memory, including a Valentine’s Day Ball in February.

“It makes us so proud to be able to do this for Bluebell Wood in Rosie’s memory. We get so much support from Bluebell Wood and felt we needed to do something to give back,” added Joanne.

 

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