When Morgan had confirmation of a miscarriage in the Early Pregnancy Unit, (EPU), her heart broke into a million pieces. For two days she barely spoke. She didn’t eat or sleep and had no guidance on what would happen next. When she contacted her workplace, she was told she’d get a maximum of 10 days paid leave. Morgan doesn’t believe 10 days off work is enough for a parent to recover physically and emotionally from a miscarriage.

After Fiona, Graeme and Daisy-Bluebell lost their baby/little brother, Ben Raphael, in 2013, Fiona raised over £1,000 for Sands. She also wrote a poem about stillbirth to offer comfort to other relatives who have lost a baby.

Louise shares how her pregnancy with her daughter Pandora wasn’t straightforward. She was diagnosed with Trisomy 21 and a condition known as “double bubble,” meaning she would need surgery after birth. Despite this and experiencing reduced movements, which caused Louise to visit the hospital multiple times, she was reassured and sent home each time. After a previous stillbirth with her son Cruze, Louise was extremely anxious. It was during her fourth visit to hospital with reduced movements that Louise was told Pandora’s heart had stopped during a scan. The next day she experienced her second stillbirth. After Pandora was born, Louise took her home where she and her family spent 12 days with their beautiful girl.

Since losing Pandora, Louise has struggled deeply with her mental health. She’s sharing Pandora’s story because she doesn’t want another parent to go through what she’s been through and she believes that when a mother says something doesn’t feel right, she should be listened to.

Selina shares how after finding out she was pregnant in June 2019 her pregnancy wasn't a straightforward one. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and at 36 weeks pregnant she and her husband Vikas were devastated to find out that a third of their baby’s brain hadn’t formed. The couple were advised a Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR) would be in the best interest of their son Aveer rather than put him through a lifetime of suffering.

Selina shares how she and Vikas organised ‘Aveer’s Footprints’, a 5k sponsored walk during the pandemic in Aveer's memory, which raised £16,000 which the couple donated to Sands to help other bereaved parents. Selina is now involved in supporting the wider South Asian community with Sands by being part of the support group of bereaved parents who provided feedback on The Enduring Light diyas.

Shakira shares how when she found out she was expecting twins in October 2024 it was the biggest shock of her life. She also shares how although all of her pregnancies were high risk she wasn’t monitored closely and her pain wasn’t investigated as she hoped. Since her twin loss Shakira has become part of a Lewisham campaign for Sands calling for better bereavement care after baby loss so nobody else has the same experience she did.

In September 2023 Alice and Pedro’s daughter Smokey died a preventable death in labour at 41 weeks. Alice shares how she was left begging for help in the last week of Smokey’s life and experienced a catalogue of failures in basic care. Alice reflects how the NHS should be a place where no baby dies preventably, and shares how she and Pedro will keep fighting until that becomes a reality because as part of Smokey’s legacy, they want to make sure no other baby dies a preventable death.