Coleraine family presents memory boxes to maternity ward

Mandy Neill's little baby girl Lily was born early in March of this year at just 17 weeks gestation at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.

Amid the family's deep grief at losing their "little angel", the Shellbridge Park mum put all her energy into providing memory boxes for any other parents who have to go through the same experience.

"Since giving birth to my angel and having to leave the hospital with next to nothing to keep and treasure of Lily, both myself and my husband and our families are trying to set up a charity to raise money to supply memory boxes for the hospital," said Mandy.

"You go into hospital with all your hopes and dreams and walk out again with just a book," added the mum-of-six who stressed that hospital staff provided them with everything they had available.

"But our aim was to provide memory boxes which contain a disposable camera - which is the one Item I really wish I had had at the time.

"We also wanted to provide a clay imprint kit to take the baby's hand and footprints, a photoframe, a candle to light in remembrance, a blanket that you can wrap your angel in. There are also two teddy bears - one for baby and the other for mummy and daddy, a ribbon that was handmade by us and features a little lily which is our tribute to our Lily."

On Saturday Mandy, husband Steven and family members went along to the maternity ward of the Causeway Hospital to present the memory boxes.

"The next thing I want to do," said Mandy, "is to provide Angel Packs for the gynaecology ward because if your baby is born under 20 weeks you will be in the gynae ward and not the maternity ward.

"I was given the idea by a lady from America who has been neo-natal nurse for 22 years and contacted me through our Facebook page - Forever our Angels.

"We want to include a little layette with a hood so that the parents can hold the baby and which the baby can be buried in. We also want to provide a woollen blanket that mum and dad can then keep."

Mandy thanked all her family who pitched in to help provide the first batch of memory boxes. They are now busy planning fundraising events to allow them to provide the Angel Packs for the gynae ward and more memory boxes for the maternity ward.

For further information on Mandy's project, you can check out Forever our Angels on Facebook or the website foreverangelsni.webs.com