Forget Me Not: Dewsbury estate agents helping charity’s Christmas Appeal

The children’s hospice, which supports families living through child-loss, is sharing the story of a bereaved mum for its 2023 Christmas Appeal.

Talia’s five-month old baby, Reggie, sadly passed away suddenly in 2020.

Speaking for the Appeal, Talia, who is also mum to Albie, revealed: “Forget Me Not were on hand to support me. Just having them at the end of the phone over the next few months made me feel better. They made my worst nightmare a bit more bearable.

“They supported me with everything, to be honest with you. When I was pregnant with Albie, my head was all over the place. I felt like I was replacing Reggie. Forget Me Not invited me to a support group for parents who were pregnant who had lost a baby and they helped me think of my pregnancy as a blessing - that Reggie had sent me his little brother to keep me safe.

“The team there are like family. They do so much for us and they help keep Reggie’s spirit alive. Especially at this time of year. Christmas is so hard anyway, but without Forget Me Not it would be even more difficult. I don’t know where I’d be without them.

“It’s the hardest thing I’m ever going to have to deal with - waking up every day without Reggie in my life. But Forget Me Not gave me hope. Hope that I could live without him. Hope that I could be a mum again to Albie.

“Your donation could give hope to another parent like me. Tragically, more families need Forget Me Not’s help every year. And Christmas is a particularly busy time for the hospice.

“But £10 would go a long way. It could pay for a family to have a coffee with someone who understands what they’re going through. So that they know they’re not alone.”

Gareth Pierce, CEO at Forget Me Not, added: “Christmas is a particularly difficult time for families facing or living with the loss of their child. We’re here so that no family has to go through that alone.

“But we can’t do that without your support. With only ten per cent of the funds we need coming from the NHS or government, even small donations can make a big difference to families like Talia’s.”

Forget Me Not’s Christmas Appeal is getting a boost on Giving Tuesday, November 28, Dewsbury-based estate agents Hunters, one of their corporate supporters, will be matching any donation made on that day (up to £500).

Ashraf Esat, director at Hunters, said: “We know every penny counts, especially at this time of year so we wanted to help people’s donations go that little bit further.

“Talia’s story shows just how much difference Forget Me Not can make to families who are experiencing such pain and loss. By matching the donations people make on Giving Tuesday, we can double that difference.”

Forget Me Not has stores in Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton and Mirfield and donations to the charity’s Christmas Appeal can be made at https://www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/christmas-appeal