Girl, 8, who lost two newborn siblings, donates teddy bears with their names on to grieving parents

An 8-year-old girl from Eckington has donated teddy bears to grieving parents in hospital, after her mum lost two babies in a year.

Aria Cheetham has been making up to 30 bracelets a night to sell, and has raised hundreds of pounds for bereavement charities including as Aching Arms, which supplied the teddies.

Erika Cheetham, 26, her mum, said: “When I lost my daughter, my other three children got a charity teddy from Aching Arms. They have slept with the teddies since losing their siblings, and it has brought them an enormous amount of comfort.”

In June of last year, Erika and her husband Danny tragically lost their daughter, Aroe Bari, just moments after she was born at 20 weeks and five days.

Their son, Acre Bowe, was born at 20 weeks in February this year, and passed away just under two hours later.

Erika said: “Their names are like bow and arrow, so they are linked together forever.

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“All the families at Chesterfield Hospital who have lost babies will get a teddy from Aria, which all have my late daughter and son’s names on.”

Aria has asked her headteacher for a stall at a school fair in Mosborough to sell more of her bracelets, and plans to pick a new baby loss charity each time she raises a few hundred pounds for one.

Erika added: “She is always thinking about everyone else. When we go to visit her siblings, she is the first to take the dead flowers and leaves off of their graves.

“I have been blessed with the most perfect and beautiful little girl ever. I couldn't be more proud of her - I can't even believe she's mine.”

Aria and Erika are planning for some of their fundraising to go towards a new cold cot at the hospital, in honour of Acre and Aroe.