Kerri is a Midwife at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton and was nominated for an Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care by bereaved parent Beth and another member of her family.
Beth said: “In a dark ultrasound room on the morning of the 10th November 2021 we were told that our baby had died, on his due date. The room felt as though the air was being sucked out of it and we were in a state of shock. Completely heartbroken. We were taken to the ‘quiet’ room where I was expected to deliver our son, who we named Dylan.
“Kerri was our midwife on the day and she showed us nothing but complete compassion and empathy. She was the kindest soul, she allowed us to meet our son in the most beautiful way. Kerri is a special human being who was made to be a midwife. I know that since caring for us she has become the bereavement lead midwife for our local hospital which makes us feel lucky to have had her care for us and our baby boy.”
The Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care aims to recognise the vital work done by midwives, nurses, and other health professionals to care for parents affected by pregnancy loss or the death of their baby.
On hearing that she had been nominated Kerri said: “It's an absolute honour. We don't do this role for the recognition. I do the job because it's something I'm extremely passionate about.
“Hand on heart the Princess Anne work family is second to none,” she said. You can't do the job without the backing of your colleagues. Because at the end of the day a lot of my colleagues are the ones that look after the women in labour. So, I think the award is for everyone, not me.”
Kerri says she tries to put herself in the shoes of bereaved parents when she is caring for them. “They don't expect that to have happened and their world is completely turned upside down. The whole journey that they're on is completely changed.
“It doesn't make a difference whether it's five weeks, 10 weeks, 30 weeks, you know, whether it's a termination for medical reasons or whether it's a stillbirth or a miscarriage, their world is completely shattered beyond belief.
“It is very difficult for them to envisage going home without their baby. So, they want their family to be with them in hospital and that's what we do. When we've got someone in the bereavement suite, I will open it up, if they want everybody in, they will have everybody in.”
Kerri’s awareness of the wider impact of baby loss was recognised in her nomination.
Beth said: “Family members were allowed to meet Dylan, and Kerri remains a person who we all still speak about to this day. Kerri made a huge impression on all of us and we could never repay her for giving us the time and respect when Dylan was born.”
Memory-making is a vital part of bereavement care and is something Kerri puts a lot of effort into.
She said: "I had one family, it was their last night, they'd been with us for six days and they didn't know what else they could do. And I said, do you want to see the sunset? It was the most gorgeous sunset for a long while. We take the sunset for granted most days, but for that family at that moment in time, that meant the world to them. And at the end of the day, that's what I'm grateful for.”
Find out more about the Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care.