I am a mum to two beautiful girls – M, our eldest who has just turned 3 and Kaitlyn, our darling angel baby, who was born sleeping in November 2018. This blog is inspired by both my girls. I want to tell Kaitlyn’s story and for us to join the movement of people who are breaking the silence around baby loss.
This is a story about parenting one child in this world and one in the next. Of navigating death and grief with a 3-year-old whilst trying to understand it yourself. Of the remarkable resilience, compassion and understanding that a 3-year-old can demonstrate if given the chance. Of keeping a much wanted little baby’s memory alive and creating a legacy in her name. It’s a story of a family broken by grief, trying to find a way forward for the future.
Outside of my mum life I have worked for the NHS for my whole career. I am a musician by background and studied a Joint Honours degree in Music and German Studies, followed by a Masters in Human Resources Management (you might well ask how someone finds their way from one to the other, perhaps I’ll write a post about it someday!) I sing in choirs, which is a key source of joy and reflection in my life and something I have held onto through thick and thin, including when I first became a mum and now, through this journey of grief and loss. I live in a wonderful village in the South of England with my husband of five years and our daughter M.
A Keepsake for Kaitlyn 