Quilt featuring names of babies who didn't come home unveiled at Sheffield hospital

The ‘Remembering Baby’ display is made up of 88 fabric squares, each with the name of a baby who either miscarried, was stillborn or died shortly after birth.

It was unveiled on Friday by doctor turned author Adam Kay, Jessops staff and parents whose babies’ names were featured on the artwork.

Sheffield couple Ben Coy and Jody Whigfull-Coy were there remembering their daughter Beau Matilda, who died at just 14 days old in 2016.

“We came to Jessops to have a baby but it didn’t end the way we thought it would,” said Jody.

“For some people, the journey doesn’t work out the way it is supposed to but remembering those children who don’t go home is really important.”

“For this to be the end result of everything we have been through is a really fitting tribute to our daughter,” added Ben.

“It just put our story in a positive context and allows us to remember her in a positive way.”

Ann-Marie Ansell, 31, from Intake, lost her daughter Summer Ann Burgin when she was stillborn at full term in 2018.

She said: “It might just be a little square of fabric but it is something you can do for your child as a parent.

“You can’t do all the normal things that other parents do but you can remember their name.”

Ann-Marie went on to have a ‘rainbow baby’ - a child born to a couple who have previously suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or death during infancy.

Finley Anthony Burgin was born in July 2019 and attended the unveiling with mum Ann-Marie.

Consultant radiologist Elspeth Whitby, who sewed the quilt herself in just one day, said the project was important in combating the taboo of losing a baby so young.

“If babies are born before 24 weeks parents don’t even get a birth certificate,” she said.

“But parents want to talk about their babies even the ones who are no longer here and this is a really important way of allowing them to do that.”