Couple donate 'memory bears' to Medway Hospital after death of baby
Kimberley and Nicholas Miles say having a bear to hold onto helps with the loss of little Rupert and they hope this gesture will support others going through similar loss.
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00:00Many of us have memories of a favourite teddy from when we were younger,
00:03but some here in Kent are clinging on a little tighter.
00:07Kimberly and her husband Nicholas lost their baby boy Rupert in March last year.
00:11He was born prematurely at 20 weeks.
00:14To help with her loss, she was given a bear to hold onto
00:17and now she's passed the favour forward by donating several teddies,
00:20hats and blankets to Medway Maritime Hospital to support other families through bereavement.
00:26I actually got my own teddy when I was in hospital with Rupert.
00:30I lost him at 20 weeks, castation,
00:34and it was just there to cuddle when I had to say goodbye to him.
00:37It was just nice to have something there.
00:39And now I have him at home as well, in his ashes in the teddy bear as well.
00:43They're just so important to loads of families
00:47and just having that teddy to cuddle when you're in hospital just means so much.
00:51It took me a long time to process everything.
00:54He was born in March and I didn't really understand anything until September time.
01:01And just don't judge yourself for how you feel,
01:03just feel what you need to feel and reach out and get support as well.
01:07Now this is one of the 15 teddies that Kimberly and her husband Nicholas
01:11kindly donated to the hospital here.
01:13Now these teddies are really special because if I turn it around,
01:16there's a little zip at the back here which you can open up
01:18and it's for families to put any memories of the ashes of their babies
01:22that they may have lost prematurely.
01:24The bears were purchased from the charity Making Miracles
01:26and funded by friends and family donating to a Just Giving page
01:30that was set up by the couple in memory of Rupert.
01:33Now these cuddly bears will be helping several other families.
01:37Kimberly donating these teddy bears is so wonderful for all our families.
01:41They are such a comfort.
01:43It's something that they can hold and cuddle
01:46and actually have that tactile connection with their baby.
01:49All grief is individual.
01:52Everything we do and everything we offer is done on an individual basis
01:56for the parents and for the families
01:58because we support the extended family as well.
02:01For families going through this or have been through this
02:03because they will continue to go through it for their entire lives,
02:07is to make sure that you lean out and ask us,
02:09you know, get all the support you can need from us,
02:12the charities, friends and family.
02:14We've only got one chance to get it right
02:16and we need to do that right from the very beginning.
02:18As Kimberly holds on tight,
02:19she asks for anyone going through bereavement to reach out and seek support
02:23and to remember grieving can look different for everyone.
02:26Mahima Abedin for KMTV in Medway.