Thoughts about Philip's Footprints Memory Boxes......
Following the stillborn birth of our first baby in 2011, we were surprised but absolutely delighted to be told about Philips Footprints. When told you are able to go home by the midwife, your emotions are running high as you feel very empty as you have nothing to go home with. The Memory Box filled some of this gap, as it provided the comfort that she was there in spirit and we had some treasured memories.
The Memory box has continued to provide great comfort, as we have been able to look back at photos and at the prints of her hands and feet. The small hat and teddy bear has reminded us she was in good hands when we left the Maternity.
Philips Footprints provides a service that is priceless.~~~~
I remember being sat in the family room in the Maternity unit, unsure of what was to come. I hadn’t taken the usual items that most mums take when about to give birth to their child. No ‘coming home’ outfit, no camera to capture those first moments.
I had thought about it, but the confusion was all too much and my emotions were all over the place. This was going to be an awful day, a day that would be with me forever. Did I really need any more reminders? At that moment, I felt not.
However, things quickly changed. After speaking with a wonderful midwife, she explained that a lady had been through a similar experience to me and had set up a charity named Philip’s Footprints. This charity offered all parents a chance to remember their baby in the way they choose, without any pressure.
We were handed a beautiful white box, I felt really touched by this gesture but more than anything, totally thankful. Inside were almost all of the items that I just couldn’t bring myself to pack. A lovely blanket, a teddy and a tiny outfit were just some of the items included.
A camera was also there to use if you chose to and the memory card could be taken home to keep. Even though at the time, I didn’t know if I’d use it. I sit here now with treasured photos of a baby that if not for Jo and her motivation to create such a worthy charity, I would not have.
The memory box is now full of cards, pictures and other things that keep my baby’s memory alive. Without it, I would have very little to remember such an important part of my life regarding such a very special person.
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The one thing that brought comfort was the memory box. I remember waking up in the middle of the night once home and opening and closing it and adding other precious items over time as we began to build our own memories. I remember the empty walk out of the hospital too.