Rainbow families benefit from beautiful blankets

A caring crocheter’s hook has been flying through the yarn to create more than 50 beautiful rainbow blankets for local families.

Judy Evans answered a call for help in creating the colourful blankets from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s bereavement midwife Nick Kerry.

Together with the Trust’s official charity, The Health Tree Foundation, the blankets are packaged up into special rainbow bundles which include vests, baby grows, nappies and rainbow hats.  

A rainbow baby is a baby that is born following the loss of another baby. Families often find it hard to prepare for their next pregnancy due to the fear of it ending in heartbreak again.  

Nick said: “The bundles provide those early essentials. Often families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby don’t want to tempt fate in buying items for their next child.

“The rainbow blankets and hats also provide valuable keepsakes for families helping to create those first initial happy memories,” she added.

When Judy, of Blaxton near Doncaster, heard about the need for blankets back in March she immediately set to crocheting, and since then has made 51 blankets.

She said: “It struck a real chord with me as I had a stillborn daughter 51 years ago. She weighed in at 4lbs but I never got to see her or hold her. I went on to have two of my own rainbow babies but I have never forgotten my firstborn.

“I had my daughter at the old Scunthorpe maternity hospital, so when I heard about the amazing work Nick is doing I knew I wanted to help other families who go through the heartache of losing a child, and the joy of going on to have other babies.”

Judy and her friend Julie Ward recently visited Nick at Scunthorpe hospital to help pack some of the bundles ready to hand out to rainbow families.

Nick runs rainbow clinics at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospital providing care postnatally and antenatally ensuring families receive expert care and psychological support.

One mum, Amy Lea, who lost a baby and subsequently went on to have a rainbow baby under the care of Nick, said: “The rainbow clinic was a fantastic help to both me and my partner. Pregnancy after a loss can be so stressful and scary but having extra support made all the difference.

“The reassurance, advice and guidance I was given along the way really helped me cope.”

If anyone would like more information about rainbow bundles, please email The Health Tree Foundation’s community champions Hayley Thompson (Scunthorpe) at hayley.thompson3@nhs.net or Laura Gooderham (Grimsby) at laura.gooderham@nhs.net