For Baby Loss Awareness Day back in October, Beth Cooper decided she wanted to help other grieving families by creating comfort boxes.
After she lost her baby Felix on Christmas Day 2022, she found it incredibly difficult to reconcile what had happened due to the care she had received and the concerns she raised.
Since then, the mother has been campaigning for awareness surrounding baby loss through Felix’s Flame.
The boxes have been beautifully put together with a handful of thoughtful contributions. Some include Together Socks, who make socks and merchandise, alongside linen paper poems crafted by Heidi Hope & Co.
Grief books have also been donated by Fox Under the Stars, whilst Felix’s nan contributed her very own hand-stitched little moons for the first batch of boxes.
Each moon has a tag explaining how someone can sponsor a future box in their own baby’s name, allowing their baby’s memory to become part of supporting another bereaved family.
Mark at Brighton and Hove Plastics also made 50 Christmas baubles for her to use to fundraise for the next batch.
As Felix was born sleeping on Christmas Day, the day will always carry a different meaning for the family, “Being able to use something connected to his memory to help other parents means a lot to me.
"We’ve raised enough to fund our first 50 boxes, which were posted to bereaved families across the UK”, said Beth. “Packing them was incredibly emotional.
"Every box represents a family going through something no parent should ever have to experience, and knowing some of the families receiving them have lost their babies only days ago really brings home why this matters.
"I kept thinking about the parents opening them and hoping they might feel a little less alone.
"These boxes can’t take away anyone’s grief, but they’re a practical way of saying that their baby matters, their loss matters, and they haven’t been forgotten.”
Beth explained how there was still 150 requests to fulfil.
As Felix’s Flame continues to campaign for safer maternity care, the charity is working to support families across the UK.
“For me, the two go hand in hand: fighting for better care and making sure families have somewhere to turn when their experiences leave them struggling to cope”, explained Beth.
“I’m determined to keep this going.”
You can find out more about Felix’s Flame at https://www.felixsflame.com/.
5. Felix's Flame Comfort Boxes
Felix’s nan contributed her very own hand-stitched little moons for the first batch of boxes- every moon includes a tag explaining how someone can sponsor a future box in their own baby’s name, allowing their baby’s memory to become part of supporting another bereaved family. Photo: contributed