Tameside Hospital maternity unit lights up for Baby Loss Awareness Week

Tameside Hospital staff, patients, and members of the local community came together on Wednesday 15 October to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week with a touching Wave of Light ceremony.

The annual event gives families the chance to honour and remember babies who have sadly died during pregnancy or after birth. Across the world, people light candles at 7pm local time and let them burn for at least an hour, creating a wave of candlelight that travels across the globe as each new time zone reaches the hour.

This year, Tameside Hospital’s baby garden was beautifully illuminated in shades of pink and blue for the occasion. Around 50 people attended the ceremony, the largest the hospital has hosted to date. The event was led by the Maternity Unit’s Bereavement team and accompanied by moving performances from the local choir Tameside Voices, whose music helped create a peaceful and reflective atmosphere.

Attendees were invited to light their own candles and write their baby’s name on a ribbon, offering a personal moment of remembrance and connection.

Tameside-based charity Finding Rainbows was also present to provide information and emotional support for families. Founded by those who have experienced baby loss themselves, the charity offers compassionate guidance and reassurance that no one has to face grief alone.

Victoria Wright, who works in Bereavement Support at the hospital, said: “It was an honour to host this year’s Wave of Light event again at Tameside Hospital.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to Tameside Voices choir for their beautiful singing, Finding Rainbows for their expert support, our Maternity Unit and Early Pregnancy teams who are there to help families going through some of the toughest moments of their lives, and especially to those parents and families who came along to remember their babies.

“As Baby Loss Awareness Week comes to an end, it’s important that we keep raising awareness and break the silence on baby loss.”

The Wave of Light marks the culmination of Baby Loss Awareness Week (9–15 October), which seeks to raise awareness of the impact of baby loss, encourage open conversation, and highlight the support available for bereaved families.