‘There is no footprint too small that it does not leave an impact on this world’
It is a sad fact that not every baby on the unit makes it home and on Sunday 1st December (2.30pm) a memorial service will take place at St James Reform Church to remember babies that have sadly passed away at the RVI. This annual service is organised by Women’s Services at Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, and Tiny Lives is proud to support this important occasion.
Whether parents are on the ward, or they are at home, Tiny Lives organises and funds bereavement support to help families through and honour the memory of their baby. Including:
Sibling Support Groups
Siblings Support Group is an informal, supportive group where families who have spent time on Ward 35 with their baby or babies who have sadly died can meet. The group is facilitated by staff from the Neonatal Unit and provides memory making activities for siblings helping them to remember and honour their lost sibling. The group is supported by Tiny Lives and a light lunch is provided. We welcome children of all ages to take part, no matter how long ago their sibling(s) was on the unit.
If you are looking for a parent only support group, please email info@tinylives.org.uk, where we can provide you with information of where these groups are available.
Counselling
The counselling is being offered in partnership with the North East Counselling Service (NECS), and parents can take part in 6 free sessions of individual or couples counselling. The service is self-referred, meaning that the parent does not need a medical referral to benefit from this additional support. Counselling can take place in person at NECS offices or virtually – whatever best suits you.
On Unit Bereavement Fund
We operate a dedicated fund for the Neonatal Unit Bereavement Team, which can be used for a variety of items to help support parents through the bereavement process, and to help honour the baby’s passing with the utmost respect. These include baby bath products and hooded towels so that parents can have the experience of giving their child a bath, material which is then crafted into burial gowns suitable for smaller babies, and more.
Heart in their Hands Keyrings
These keyrings are a precious keepsake for bereaved parents. They come in two parts, a removable heart charm and a circular keyring. The heart is kept with the baby after they have sadly passed, and the keyring is kept by the parent, symbolising that their little one will always have a piece of their heart. We also supply a twin version of the keepsake, with two removeable charms.
Memory Boxes
When you’ve lost a baby, there’s nothing more precious than the memories you have with them. We help to fund memory boxes for the Neonatal Unit, which are filled with items such as their baby’s admission bracelet, their Miniboo, neonatal dummy and sometimes clothing or a lock of hair – anything that will help parents to remember their little one.
Digital Cameras and Photos
We supply the Ward 35 Bereavement Team with high-quality digital cameras, complete with memory cards and accessories, in order to let parents take priceless photos in the time they have with their little one. We also pay for these pictures to be confidentially processed and delivered to parents as soon as possible.
Books for Bereaved Siblings
When a family loses a baby, it can often be a huge and emotional challenge to explain this loss to a sibling, especially if they’re younger. To help with this we fund a special book for siblings that parents can use to help support them through this difficult conversation.
If you or a loved one needs support, we are here for you. Please info@tinylives.org.uk, where we can provide you with the best information for you.
We’ve had the first snow of the winter and we’re getting into the Christmas spirit here at Tiny Lives! With the festive season just around the corner, we wanted to share what we have coming up over the next few weeks and how you can support babies and their families over the holidays.
Christmas can be a difficult time for families spending time on the unit, those celebrating first Christmas and for parents whose babies are no longer with us. Our festive fundraising activities and events allow us to support babies and families during their time on the unit, and post discharge all year round.
First off, we want to say big thank you to the team at Trinity Square, Gateshead who invited Tiny Lives to be part of their incredible Christmas light switch on event on Thursday 21 November. The support we have received from the whole team at Trinity Square over the years is amazing. They are always thinking of new ways to continue their support to Tiny Lives; if they have any family activities going on in the square, they always try to involve Tiny Lives, which we are very grateful for!
Here are just some of the way you can get involved with Tiny Lives this Christmas…
Order your Tiny Lives Christmas Decorations
We’ve got lovely Tiny Lives Wooden Christmas Decorations kindly provided by Ryder Architecture! These gorgeous decorations cost £5 each and are a wonderful way to show your support families on the neonatal unit this Christmas In order for decorations to arrive in time for Christmas, the checkout will close on Sunday 11th December.
We’re very excited that Santa himself has agreed to write and post personalised letters to our Tiny Lives supporters again this year. These letters are a perfect way for ALL families to help support premature and sick babies and families on the RVI Neonatal Unit. You don’t have to have spent time on the Unit to order some, they’re available to everyone! Each letter is personalised for each child.
We suggest a £5 or £10 donation per letter (you can choose at the checkout), which includes postage costs – although anything you can give will be very much appreciated. The funds raised from the sale of these letters will go a long way to supporting families on the RVI Neonatal Unit through this festive period and beyond. Closing date to ask Santa for your personalised letter is Thursday 12th Dec and letters from Santa will begin arriving w/c 2nd Dec.
We need to raise a minimum of £580,000 to continue our work every year and we simply couldn’t do this without our wonderful fundraisers! We are incredibly proud of everyone who chooses to raise money for us, their dedication and enthusiasm is simply inspiring.
This Christmas why not organise a festive event – we will even help you with fundraising ideas and setting up a fundraising page. It could a Christmas coffee morning, or a Christmas jumper day!
Find your stocking fillers on the Tiny Lives online shop
Forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Tiny Lives online shop has loads of gift ideas from travel mugs, hats and hoodies for grown up to bibs and teddies for little ones. The best thing is that all of the money raised from sales on our online shop goes straight back into the charity and will allow us to achieve our vision to support even more babies and parents in 2025 and beyond.
Along with a great range of Tiny Lives merch, our online shop also gives you the chance to give a virtual gift to a loved one. By purchasing a virtual gift you are supporting families as they navigate the neonatal journey. This gift represents the typical cost of supporting a neonatal family with a Parent Pack when their baby is admitted to the Neonatal Unit. Our virtual gifts are real examples of the ways in which Tiny Lives supports the babies and families of Newcastle’s RVI Neonatal Unit and we will ensure that your donation will go towards where the babies and families need it most. You will receive an instant downloadable gift that you can print or email to the recipient.
Donate your spare Christmas gifts
While we know it’s the thought that counts, sometimes you end up with some prezzies that you are just never going to use. To save those extra bubble bath sets, boxes of choccies or ‘interesting’ jumpers going to waste or gathering dust, we’d love to take them off your hands. Instead of letting your prezzie gather dust, regift them to Tiny Lives and we’ll make sure they go to a good home. We can use your generously donated Christmas gifts as great raffle and tombola prizes throughout the year, helping to raise money for premature babies and their families on the RVI Neonatal Unit.
If you’d like to donate, please call 0191 230 2112 or email info@tinylives.org.uk to arrange a drop-off at our office. We may also be able to pick up larger amounts – just let us know.
Make a donation
Do something amazing this Christmas and make a donation to Tiny Lives!
Globally, 1 in 10 babies is born prematurely and on Sunday 17 November we marked World Prematurity Day here in the North East.
Landmarks around the world lit up purple to raise awareness and honour babies and families who have experienced premature birth, including the Tyne Bridge and Millenium Bridge right here in Newcastle. Seeing our iconic bridges across the Tyne turn purple with Tiny Lives families and supporters was a beautiful moment, we at Tiny Lives made sure there was plenty of cakes and goodies for the families and staff back on the unit to enjoy on the day too.
This year a group of nurses from Ward 35 got together a special World Prematurity Day pack for families, including chocolate, candles and handmade keepsakes to mark to day.
World Prematurity Day brings global attention to the significant impact of premature birth, which affects 1 in 10 babies worldwide. In celebration and support of those born prematurely and their families, schools and groups across the North East are also taking on the 10 for Prem challenge this month – walking, running or cycling 10km throughout November to raise money to support our work here at Tiny Lives. You’re all our Ten for Prem heroes!
‘Take on 10 for Prem’ is an easy, ten-minute online workout designed to get children and their friends active while raising awareness and educating young minds on the challenges and stories of premature birth while raising vital funds for Tiny Lives.
As well as being loads of fun, ‘Take on 10 for Prem’ is also an important way to teach children about important health issues while encouraging physical activity and team work – all key parts of children’s learning and development.
Rachel Hardwick, fundraising and engagement manager said ‘World Prematurity Day is a significant day for families who are currently spending time on the unit and those who have navigated the experience of having a baby be born early in the past. Spending time on the unit when a new arrival is born early is a very scary time for parents and although every neonatal journey is different, we want families to know that they are not alone. At Tiny Lives we’re committed to supporting premature babies and their families by providing equipment, support and other items to make the journey a little bit easier, on World Prematurity Day, and every day.
“Without the generosity of our supporters, including everyone taking part in 10 for Prem, we wouldn’t be able to provide the vital equipment and support that families are in need of all year round. Thank you!”
If you would like to donate and help us continue our work, please click here.
The 1st of November is here and that means we’re officially allowed to get excited for Christmas!
We’re very excited that Santa himself has agreed to write and post personalised letters to our Tiny Lives supporters again this year.
These letters are a perfect way for ALL families to help support premature and sick babies and families on the RVI Neonatal Unit. You don’t have to have spent time on the Unit to order some, they’re available to everyone! Each letter is personalised for each child based on information you provide for us, making it such a special letter for your little one.
We suggest a £5 or £10 donation per letter (you can choose at the checkout), which includes postage costs – although anything you can give will be very much appreciated.
The funds raised from the sale of these letters will go a long way to supporting families on the RVI Neonatal Unit through this festive period and beyond.
Closing date to ask Santa for your personalised letter is Thursday 12th Dec and letters from Santa will begin arriving w/c 2nd Dec.
