In the moments after learning their baby Amelia Grace had died, Kelly and husband Glynn found Bereavement Midwife, Louise Martin, to be a “calming presence”.
The couple went on to nominate Louise for the Elaine Thorpe Award for Bereavement Care.
In the nomination, they said: “Louise came to see us and introduced herself, her calming presence and ability to answer any questions we had in those moments of shock and trauma has stayed with us.
“Following the birth of Amelia, we were able to spend as much time with her as we wanted in the bereavement room before being discharged. After leaving hospital, Louise was our main contact. In the weeks leading up to Amelia’s funeral, her support, guidance and compassion were invaluable. She arranged for us to visit Amelia at Rose Cottage, a bereavement suite which allows parents and families to visit their babies. We visited numerous times before and after Amelia’s post-mortem, each time under the care of Louise.
“Louise consistently gave us professional and compassionate support, always referring to Amelia by name which means so much to us as parents. A particular memory that we have is how Louise doted on Amelia and treated her like any other baby. Louise treated us like the new parents that we were, something that we have found is not common even amongst family and friends."
Louise, whose midwifery career spans 24 years, went on to help the couple with funeral arrangements and ensured they made memories with Amelia. Following the funeral, she kept them up-to-date with hospital investigations and attended the post-mortem appointment.
Since the loss of Amelia, Louise has gone on to support the family with another pregnancy. During which, her care for them has been “above and beyond” what they had expected.
The family continued: “Louise has given us her time throughout this pregnancy, has been at the end of the phone when we have needed her and has accompanied us to all our hospital scans and appointments. Seeing a familiar face, having a hug and being with someone who had cared for Amelia at each scan has meant the world. Louise has ensured that every healthcare professional we have seen during this pregnancy knows about Amelia and what happened. This has had a huge impact on the care we have received and the ability to allow Amelia to be part of this pregnancy. As bereaved, anxious parents, this continues to help us as the pregnancy progresses.
“Louise has supported us every step of the way since we found out Amelia had died and still remains a huge part of our care. This continuity of care in our new pregnancy is above and beyond what we would expect. Louise is clearly a devoted bereavement midwife and has provided us with outstanding care since losing our child. We will be forever grateful.”
Louise, who works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was emotional speaking about the nomination. She said: “I was completely shocked. You don’t expect anything back from these families, as they’ve got enough to be thinking of.
“You do the best you can, but you never truly know whether you are making an impact until months or years down the line. Or until times like this, where parents take the time to let you know. So, to receive something like this was overwhelming and emotional.
“The foundation of midwifery is building relationships with families. You can’t make the situation better, all you can do is try your very best to provide the care they need at that moment.”
Find out more about the Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care.