October 9th-15th is Baby Loss Awareness Week #BLAW2020.
During 
this special week, bereaved parents, families, and friends, not only in the UK but also worldwide, pay tribute to their children who have passed away.
It is a chance for those grieving to unite with other bereaved families and to commemorate the lives of their babies. It is a week set aside to feel supported and heard, without stigma, to talk about and acknowledge the heartache and pain of losing a much-loved baby.
Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death society) is the lead charity behind the week, which aims to break the silence, commemorate babies’ lives and drive improvements in both the care and support of those affected and in the prevention of pregnancy and baby loss.
In time for #BLAW2020, Yorkshire based Loss Books Ltd has partnered with Sands and launched four Special Edition titles; The Story of My Baby Brother, My Baby Sister, My Twin, and Our Baby (in a variety of skin tones).
A donation of £1 from the sale of each of the above four-book titles (available in various skin tones and hard or soft covers) will be donated to Sands to help with their continued, much-needed support in the field of stillbirth and neonatal deaths.
Jen Coates, Drector of Volunteering and Bereavement Support, said:
“Sands is pleased to be partnering with Loss Books UK to raise awareness and break the silence around baby loss. The death of a baby impacts the entire family, and we are committed to providing support for everyone, whenever they need it. Although Sands plays a pivotal role in reducing the number of baby deaths, sadly, 14 babies still die every day, and 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss. Thank you for your support.”
So how did these very special books come about?
In South Africa, almost ten years ago, Kate Polley was celebrating the birth of her twin boys, when 10 hours after their birth, unexpectedly, one of her beautiful sons, Sam, died. The loss of their baby son and brother will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of his amazing mum, Kate, his dad, his twin brother, and other siblings.
Struggling to find any appropriate resources, after much thought, Kate decided to write a heartfelt short story about Sam and Finn and their special twin-connection. Once completed, she found a local illustrator to bring the book to life and managed to get some copies printed just in time for Finn and the family for Christmas.
Kate decided to share some of the book pages on Facebook within her twin-loss support group, hoping that it would help other bereaved families. Much to her surprise, many requested a copy too. Kate, unable to keep up with demand, was introduced to an independent publisher Gail, in Yorkshire. “Can you help me?” Kate asked, and for Gail, it was a complete joy to say ‘yes.’
A blossoming partnership between Kate and Gail developed via technology. A few years on, the beautiful memory book series has grown to over 50 books, with a worldwide distribution, and last year became award-winning.
The series of bereavement books won ‘The Most Inspirational Memory Maker’ Award at the 2019 Darcey’s Dream Awards gala in Newcastle, against some amazing competition.
The exceptional quality of these (UK) printed books, with their illustrations and heartfelt story, remind us that we can talk about and experience the joy of a lost loved baby, even though they are no longer here with us on earth.
About the partnership with Sands, Kate Polley said:
“When I first wrote the book, I just wanted my son, Sam, to be remembered. Reaching out and helping other families with the book soon became an important part of my healing process. Partnering with Sands is the culmination of my dream to provide comfort to grieving families, and this partnership will create a much greater awareness of the book to those in need. Offering comfort to bereaved families has become Sam’s legacy, and I am so excited to be doing this with Sands.”
Gail Powell, the publisher, added –
“We have all worked so hard to make this book series the best it can be. We know how important talking and sharing feelings about grief, incredibly difficult are those conversations when it is a baby. We know from feedback that the books have helped ease the grieving process for all the family. I feel privileged to be a part of publishing such a lovely series of books.”
If you would like further information about Sands, the new between Loss Books and Sands, Kate’s story, the story behind the books, or about the book series itself, then please email:
Gail is available for interview via Skype or Zoom and is willing to travel to be interviewed in person. Kate is available only via Skype or Zoom. Contact Gail directly – gail@nulllossbooks.com
To view the Special Edition series of books in support of Sands CLICK HERE
