A generous gesture to help kids at their most vulnerable
AN NHS nurse has created heartfelt bereavement boxes for children who have lost a parent or a sibling.
Natalie Williams, an emergency department nurse, created the care packages as a way of comforting the children who have lost loved ones.
Natalie wants children to have a keepsake in memory of their loved one. She is based in ED at Morriston Hospital and said: “I’ve always been passionate about bereavement support but we didn’t really have anything we could give to children for long-term support when they go home.
“The idea developed so that if we have any children that lose siblings or parents in the department, we now have a support network and we can offer them something to take home and read, as well as a keepsake in memory of their loved one.”
There are three sets of boxes, designed to be agespecific bereavement boxes to give to children, one for children aged under seven, and another for those aged seven to 11, both of which contain two teddy bears, an electric candle, a photo frame and forget-me-not seeds.
Children aged 12 and over will be given a memory box instead of the teddy bears, in addition to the other thoughtful contents.
Each box also includes ageappropriate information packs and support from Child Bereavement UK and childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish.
Natalie initially paid for the bereavement boxes herself but has since received sponsorship from trade union Unison, enabling her to provide the service at no cost to herself. It has also allowed her to offer a bigger and better selection of keepsakes and support in each box.
She added: “Unison very generously offered to fund the project which kind of put my idea into motion. They enabled me to make something so much better than I had hoped.
“I wouldn’t have been able to include the memory boxes or photo
The idea developed so that if we have any children that lose siblings or parents in the department, we now have a support network and we can offer them something to take home and read, as well as a keepsake in memory of their loved one Nurse Natalie Williams
frames and I’ve managed to get bigger bears because of their support.
“I want to say a massive thank you to Unison. They saw where I wanted to take my project but it wasn’t something that I would have been able to fund myself for the quality and quantity of the things I wanted to present.
“It’s nice that as staff we can contribute and try to hopefully make a difference to people.”
Despite all of the hard work that has gone into creating each bereavement box, Natalie said that, in an ideal world they would never have to be used.
She added: “But I’m hoping that if they do, then they will provide bereavement support, not only while the children are in the department but in the longer term as well.
“I’m hoping each box will make a small difference in what could be one of the worst days in a child’s life.”
Lynne Haeney, service manager for emergency care and hospital operations, said: “It came to my knowledge that Natalie had been providing this service to bereaved families through her own funds, so through my excellent links with Unison I asked if they would be happy to sponsor her to continue this service and improve on it.
“Unison were more than happy to support Natalie as they could see and understand the benefit of the packs that Natalie was preparing. Without their support Natalie would have continued to supply this service with her own funding.
“Following conversations with Unison, they immediately made funds available to Natalie and have explained that they will be happy to support this annually if it’s needed.
“This is an excellent demonstration of the health board’s values and working in partnership with our union colleagues.”
Andrew O’leary, Unison Swansea Bay Healthcare branch secretary, added: “Unison members are often called upon to work with people when they are at their most vulnerable. Our branch committee were very happy to support this local initiative, seeking to give some additional comfort to children suffering a bereavement.”