Benjamin was born silently at 8:54pm on Friday, 31 October 2014.  He looked just like his big brother and was the most incredibly perfect, tiny little boy we have ever seen – from his beautiful long fingers, tiny little nose and perfect little ears, right down to his divine little feet and toes – he was simply amazing. Thankfully, we were able to spend the night with Ben, but words cannot explain the pain of saying hello and goodbye to your son within such a short period of time.

In memory of baby Ben, and in celebration of his first birthday, Jeff and I are raising money for Bears of Hope, an amazing charity who have been a wonderful support to us during the past 12 months.  Walking into a hospital pregnant and walking out a day later without your baby, and nothing but a cardboard box of ‘mementos’ is devastating and isolating, and something that no parent should ever experience.  For me, Bears of Hope helped to break through that isolation and helped us to know that we were not alone in our pain and grief.  Before we left the hospital, we received a bear that had been donated by another family, which has brought a lot of comfort when my arms are feeling empty.

Thousands of parents are affected by the loss of a baby every year in Australia and are in need of support to help them navigate this devastating grief journey. For every $100 we raise, a bear of hope will be donated, in loving memory of Benjamin, to provide comfort, support and guidance to families in the immediate days of their loss and beyond. 

We spent 15 hours with Benjamin before saying goodbye, so we are aiming to raise $1500 – one bear for every hour we held him in our arms. Any contribution, great or small will be welcomed, every cent counts!