Wainhouse Tower and Piece Hall to turn blue and pink for Baby Loss Awareness Week

Calderdale Council is lighting up Wainhouse Tower blue and pink to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week 2020 (Friday 9 to Thursday 15 October).
Wainhouse TowerWainhouse Tower
Wainhouse Tower

In Calderdale, The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation helps to increase awareness of stillbirth, helps parents who have experienced the death of a baby, and supports research to help reduce the number of babies who die during pregnancy or birth.

Ben Moorhouse and Gaynor Thompson from Calderdale set up the Foundation in memory of their daughter Kallipateira, who tragically passed away less than two weeks before Gaynor was due to give birth in 2018. Ben and Gaynor said they felt like a part of them had died – they had planned the rest of their lives, hopes and dreams for Kallipateira, but within hours this was now not happening. They had an amazing support network and created the Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation as a promise to their daughter, and a gift from her to everyone that it will benefit and support. www.kmfoundation.co.uk

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Ben Moorhouse, Head Trustee of The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation, said: “Wainhouse Tower is an iconic landmark in Calderdale and all parents of babies that have died are proud to stand tall just like the tower in celebration of their babies during this important Baby Loss Awareness Week.

“Baby death is sadly a taboo subject in society and as parents who will always grieve for our daughter, we hope more people will learn that it’s ok to talk about it and that the babies who have died exist and also the parents will always be a mum and dad. We thank Calderdale Council for its support with lighting up Wainhouse Tower as a symbol of love and hope.”

Coun Tim Swift, Leader Calderdale Council, said: “We share our deepest sympathies with everyone affected by the loss of a baby or child. We understand this must be a devastating and incredibly difficult experience, which can have a major impact on people’s mental wellbeing. It is so important to get care and support.

“We are showing our support for bereaved families and honouring their babies’ lives by lighting up Wainhouse Tower during Baby Loss Awareness Week, and encouraging our communities to get involved in any way they can.”

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Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice is marking Baby Loss Awareness Week by illuminating the Piece Hall in pink and blue as well as the hospice, Russell House, on October 15 at 7pm.

While many remembrance services will not be taking place this year due to coronavirus restrictions, Forget Me Not, which supports families facing or living with the loss of their baby, will be marking the occasion by lighting up local

landmarks, including Piece Hall.

Russell House itself will be lit by 350 blue and pink lights, in memory of those babies whose families have been supported by Forget Me Not over the last four years.

The children’s hospice is encouraging the local community to join them in commemorating babies’ lives by lighting a candle on October 15 or by leaving a dedication to their little one at www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/babylossawareness.

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Lis Meates, director of service delivery and development at Forget Me Not, said: “The coronavirus has had a major impact on people being able to access the care and support they need and has exacerbated grief and responses to baby loss.

“Now more than ever, we want to come together to let those families who have lost a baby know they are not alone. So, we invite you to show your support for those who have experienced the loss of a baby – whether or not you have been directly affected yourself.”

Forget Me Not provides a dedicated and unique service to pregnant mums, their partners and families who receive the tragic news that their baby is unlikely to survive. It provides practical and emotional support for families if a baby dies before, during or shortly after birth, or continues to live with a life-shortening condition.

It was the first children’s hospice in Europe to employ a midwife to support families during pregnancy and pioneered its specialist services in response to West Yorkshire’s higher than average perinatal mortality rates.

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The charity’s Shooting Star Appeal helps to fund this vital service, helping these families feel a little less isolated and better able to cope. Without it, these families would often have to struggle on alone.

You can find out more about their Shooting Star Appeal at www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/shootingstarappeal.