£1. One Minute. One Family.

Families like Precious and James’, and their baby Raphael…

“We went to our 20 week sonogram excited to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Instead, we found out our son had a genetic condition which is almost always fatal. We had to decide whether or not to go forward with the pregnancy, knowing he would likely not survive beyond his first year.

It was like we died that day. But every time I had a scan I felt him kick. We couldn’t give up on him. It wasn’t an enjoyable pregnancy, it felt like a very long time.”

Richard House was there for Precious and James as they prepared for the birth of Raphael. They chose to use our Rainbow Suite, a state of the art facility dedicated to giving families time and space to say goodbye to their baby. Ten minutes after Raphael was born, he stopped breathing. The whole family moved in to Richard House.

Will you spend one minute this week giving £1 to ensure another family like Raphael’s gets the gift of time to say goodbye?

Your £1 allows parents like Precious and James to create their own environment for their baby in the Rainbow Suite. Some take great comfort in giving their baby a bath or reading them a story. Precious and James were so comforted by being able to play music to Raphael, 24 hours a day, they have since gifted a speaker to the hospice so other families can do the same.
Your support provides non-intrusive care, led by the family’s wishes, to help them begin grieving. We can help plan the funeral or register the child’s death, and begin post-bereavement therapy for all of the family. Siblings are helped to understand what has happened. Raphael’s siblings, Keli, Sefofo and Eddie, left notes of love for their baby brother in the Suite’s Memory Book.

“It was a gift. For that week, we received so much care and understanding. We created a memory box with Raphael’s hand and footprints, a lock of his hair and photographs. If you woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to spend time with him, you could. He looked like a baby who was sleeping.

We are ever grateful to Richard House and the wonderful staff who supported us during our stay. We visit now to be part of the Memory Days and feel uplifted in reuniting with the team and remembering Raphael together.
Richard House feels like Raphael’s home, because we never got to take him to ours.”

Today, Raphael’s name is engraved on a pebble in the hospice Memory Fountain. Richard House will always be his home.
When you have lost a child, every minute counts to say goodbye.

This Baby Loss Awareness Week, we must raise £1 every minute to fund another family’s stay in our Rainbow Suite.

Richard House currently faces a huge shortfall in income. Without your help, the Rainbow Suite will not be available for the next family who needs it. Please give your support to make sure this doesn’t happen.