Name: Natasha Bradshaw
Organisation: Mortlake Crematorium
Award Category: Bereavement Worker
Sponsored By:
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My Plea:
I was kindly nominated by Baby TT’s father James. James and his wife Sara lost their first child, a beautiful baby girl, who they were eagerly looking forward to meeting after a 10 year wait. They fondly nicknamed her TT (Tiny Tonkin) due to her mum’s small bump. I met Baby TTs parents after they had the earth shattering loss of their daughter.
I never feel adequate in these situations, as all the options and information I am giving are ones they would give anything not to be having to make. I try to give as much help, support and choices as I can, as each and every baby loss is personal and unique.
At Mortlake Crematorium our entire team has worked, and continues to work on improving services we provide to parents who lose a child. We help and support families in many different circumstances, and babies of very early gestation to children of eighteen.
We give parents time to come to make their decisions on what type of service they would feel best suits them and their baby.
We have excellent working relationships with Chelsea and Westminster and St Mary’s Hospitals, and each department especially the bereavement midwives, patient affairs officers, mortuary staff and chaplaincy team work to ensure families can make informed decisions. This can empower people at a time when they feel so powerless.
We have created a beautiful “Waterbug and Dragonfly Garden” based on the story of the same name.
I first heard the story when a little boy called Alex was buried. A copy of the story was left with me by his Mum and it was where the inspiration came from for the garden.
Some families have had the funeral service in the garden, or spent time in the garden after the funeral service.
Every December we have a very moving remembrance service for babies and children, which families and friends attend, after the service we all go to the garden to release balloons or doves.
There is a memorial tree with golden leaves which are inscribed with loving words remembering babies and children, all of whom are forever loved and missed.
Many parents, grandparents, siblings and friends come to visit the garden and watch the dragonflies flying above the water. Baby TT’s parents said it is a place that we can go to peacefully think and dream about our little TT. We are both so grateful that this place exists as it brings us a real sense of peace and comfort as it connects us with our daughter.
By helping and supporting parents to have a funeral service, be involved as much as they want to be, being able to give their precious babies ashes to them beautifully presented after the cremation, and for them to be able to visit a beautiful garden it is hoped they find a sense of peace that is so needed.
What Others Have Said
Nothing could have however prepared us for losing her on the day we were expecting to finally meet her. It completely broke us and nothing in life has compared to the total feeling of loss and emptiness returning home without her. Natasha so caringly listened to our story, giving both comfort and guidance on the steps we should take next. More so than anything she made us not feel so alone as we felt that she would take care of us and our little girl and help us through the stages of planning her service and the day itself. She also showed us the beautiful babies & children gardens and tree where leaves with messages for lost ones could be left. We knew this was something we’d want to do and went home with a sense of purpose. If it was not for meeting Natasha we might have never known or found this beautiful place and may never found the sense of peace we so needed.