Helping bereaved parents make memories

Tim and Vickie raise money to help bereaved parents make memories Tim and Vickie Hamilton, from Doddiscombsleigh, have donated £2350 to the Maternity Unit at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to help other bereaved parents make memories with their babies.

Tim and Vickie sadly lost their third child, Cameron, when he was stillborn in September 2013. After doctors were unable to find Cameron’s heartbeat, Vickie became extremely unwell and spent time in Intensive Care and on the Labour Ward in the hospital’s ‘Heartsease’ bereavement room. It was their time spent here that inspired them to want to find ways to support other families who may be going through a similar tragedy.

Tim said: “The care and attention that we received from when we first came in, over the next seven days and ever since, was been above and beyond anything we could have possibly hoped for and this is the reason that we wanted to raise money for the unit.”

The couple started their fundraising with a donation box at Cameron’s funeral, and continued their collection by moving the donation box to the bar of the NoBody Inn, in Doddiscombsleigh, where they were working. They also ran a monthly quiz night at the pub and held a party with a raffle on what would have been Cameron’s first birthday to top up the funds.

Tim and Vickie, who are now emigrating back to Australia, recently handed over the cheque to Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist Mr Ben Peyton-Jones and Matron Lesley Bowerman on behalf of the RD&E at their leaving party.

Tim added: “We would like the money to be used for the Heartsease bereavement room, to help keep it as welcoming as possible, and also to go towards helping other families to make memories of their children such as prints, moulds and memory boxes.”

Carol Axon, RD&E Head of Midwifery, said: “We are extremely grateful to Tim and Vickie for all their support for the unit. Their very kind donation will help us provide additional support and comfort for women and their families during this extremely difficult time”.