Jo Patrick is the West Norfolk ambassador for CALM: Coping and Living With Miscarriage. With King’s Lynn Town Hall being lit up later today to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, she talks of breaking the stigma surrounding the subject.
Jo Patrick became involved with Coping and Living With Miscarriage (CALM) after sadly suffering a miscarriage in 2018. ‘After losing my baby in 2018 due to a missed miscarriage, I found there was such a stigma surrounding baby loss. I decided to try and break this stigma by talking about my baby and raising awareness.
‘I joined CALM as the local ambassador to support other bereaved parents during and after their own losses.’
As ambassador, Jo requested that King’s Lynn Town Hall be lit up today (Friday October 15) to mark the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Not only that, she adds: ‘As part of our work, we’re part way through creating a community garden at Nordelph village hall which shall be a place to remember our loved ones, and a space that CALM will use during our meetings in the nicer months.
‘I’m so grateful to the council for its support and I look forward to seeing the town hall lit up to mark this week, and in memory of our losses.’
Councillor Sam Sandell, Cabinet Member for People and Communities says: ‘We know that miscarriage and baby loss sadly affect very many families and so we were keen to support Jo’s request.
‘I’m really pleased that the borough council will be lighting up the town hall to draw attention and awareness to baby loss and miscarriage. It’s so important that we highlight this important subject and help to break the stigma that can surround it.’
Anyone who would like to find out more about CALM west Norfolk can do so here: CALM: Coping & Living with Miscarriage | Facebook. King’s Lynn Town Hall will be lit up from dusk on Friday evening and it is planned to be lit up annually to mark Baby Loss Awareness week.
Further advice and resources about baby loss and miscarriage can be found here:
West Norfolk:
Theresa’s Tiny Treasures | Baby Bereavement Charity (theresastinytreasures.co.uk)
Norfolk:
TimeNorfolk | Hope After Pregnancy Loss
National:
Sands | Stillbirth and neonatal death charity
The Miscarriage Association: Pregnancy loss information and support
Together, for every baby – Charity for Babies | Tommy’s (tommys.org)
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