On National Charity Day (05/09/2023) crews from Cleveland Fire Brigade, alongside midwives from University Hospital of North Tees will embark on the challenge of a lifetime to raise funds for the Hospital’s Child Bereavement Unit.
Midwives, Firefighters, and staff from across the Brigade will be walking an incredible 79 miles between each of their 14 fire stations across Cleveland to raise money for the refurbishment of the Bereavement Suite in the University Hospital of North Tees’ Maternity Ward.
Around twenty people will take part in the challenge and will set off from Thornaby Fire Station at around 6am on 5th September and will aim to have completed the trek, which will take approximately 28 hours by around lunch time the following day.
The funds raised from the walk will be used to help to transform the Hospital’s Snowdrop Suite, which is in need of a major refurbishment. The makeover will include soft furnishings, LED cloud lighting to create a calm atmosphere, artwork to provide a peaceful and relaxing environment, kitchenette facilities and a pull-down double bed to allow partners to stay so families can remain together.
This will provide families who are going through the heartache of losing their baby or babies with some comfort during this upsetting time in their life and allow them to spend time with their baby making memories in a comfortable ‘home from home’ environment.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “We are proud to be supporting the incredibly meaningful work of the Hospital’s Child Bereavement Unit and hope our fundraising efforts can help to make the Snowdrop Suite as comfortable as possible for families going through the unimaginable pain of losing their baby or babies. We hope that people show their support by donating whatever they can to this extremely worthy cause”.
Laura Smith, specialist bereavement midwife, said: “It means so much to us here at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust that Cleveland Fire Brigade has thought of us and are so kindly willing to put themselves through this gruelling challenge so that we can refurbish and update our Snowdrop Suite.
“It is a heartbreaking reality that the Snowdrop Suite is a vital and necessary element of our maternity services. We do this walk in honour of all the families and their babies that have spent time in the Snowdrop Suite. We hold you gently in our hearts, and the midwives that are walking alongside the Fire Brigade on this walk think of you always.”
