A mum has shown her gratitude for the care she received in tragic circumstances by raising £1,800 to help create a new room for bereaved families at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.
Hannah Royal’s daughter Anastasia was sadly stillborn last year, but Hannah appreciated the care and compassion she received in the Butterfly Suite at Basingstoke hospital and decided to do something to help other families in a similar situation.
The Butterfly Suite provides a quiet space away from the neonatal ward for families to say goodbye to their babies.
Hannah heard about plans to make a new room for relatives and took it upon herself to raise money for the cause.
Hannah said: “We truly valued the kind and compassionate way that we were treated and it would be good for relatives to also have their own space so they can support their loved ones.”
To raise funds for the new room, Hannah created kindness advent calendars for adults and children, which had a good deed for each day of December.
Hannah said: “It seemed like the perfect way of creating a legacy for Anastasia and it was also a great opportunity to open up a conversation and show people that it’s okay to talk about these things.”
Other donations included toiletries, frames to make the suite more homely and books that parents can read to their babies and take home with them.
Hilary Goodman, outpatient services manager of women’s health at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, as well as hospitals in Andover and Winchester, said: “We really appreciate Hannah’s generous donation, which will enable us to create a relatives’ room, giving them a quiet, contemplative space.
“We are enormously lucky to have the Butterfly Suite, which is used by couples affected by the loss of a baby during pregnancy or immediately after birth. Having the Butterfly Suite gives them a place to spend time with their child and say goodbye in a private space.
“Relatives of the couples can also need a quiet place to wait and support the couple as when they need it, which is why this new room will be such a positive addition.”
