Worksop couple help to raise £35k for special bereavement room at Bassetlaw Hospital

A Worksop couple whose twins were stillborn have set-up a charity and raised more than £35,000 for a special bereavement room at Bassetlaw Hospital - with refurbishment work set to start in the New Year.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Dec 2015, 11:46 BST
Pictured (L to R) at the presentation of a £12,500 cheque are: Carol Lee, Bereavement Midwife; Rachel Hodges, JOEL; Karen Cousins, Intrapartum Manager/Lead Midwife; Emma Pearson and Louise Murphy from JOEL.Pictured (L to R) at the presentation of a £12,500 cheque are: Carol Lee, Bereavement Midwife; Rachel Hodges, JOEL; Karen Cousins, Intrapartum Manager/Lead Midwife; Emma Pearson and Louise Murphy from JOEL.
Pictured (L to R) at the presentation of a £12,500 cheque are: Carol Lee, Bereavement Midwife; Rachel Hodges, JOEL; Karen Cousins, Intrapartum Manager/Lead Midwife; Emma Pearson and Louise Murphy from JOEL.

Emma and Matthew Pearson were left devastated when their twin boys Noel and James were born asleep in September 2011.

The couple launched charity JOEL The Complete Package in 2012 in their memory.

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The pair, along with other JOEL fundraisers, have been organising events to help generate vital cash to create a room on the Labour Ward at Bassetlaw Hospital which will be used for parents in similar situations to Emma and Matthew.

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Emma said: “The staff at Bassetlaw Hospital were incredible in helping Matthew and I get through the difficult days that followed and we decided we wanted to give something back and have been overwhelmed with the generosity of the local community. We are so excited to now be at the stage where we can start to see the rewards from our fundraising.”

The ‘bereavement room. will include a cold cot where parents can place their stillborn babies, enabling families to spend vital time together and create lasting memories.

In the past year JOEL members have organised race nights, bag-packing and made Christmas decorations. The charity has also received grants from Bassetlaw District Council and the National Lottery.

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Karen Cousins, intrapartum manager/lead midwife, said: “It is heart-breaking when babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth. This room will allow bereaved parents to spend time in a peaceful environment, giving them privacy to spend time with their baby. We are immensely grateful to JOEL for their continual fundraising.”

For more information visit www.joelthecompletepackage.co.uk.

Related topics:Bassetlaw HospitalWorksop