Golf challenge raises money for bereavement suite at West Suffolk Hospital
The Power family, Fred and wife Nicole, daughter Ruby May and son Ronan, with Justine Adds. Photo: My WiSH Charity.
The anguish of losing a stillborn baby following a 23-week pregnancy has led to a fundraising initiative which has contributed funds towards the bereavement suite at the West Suffolk Hospital.
Fred Power, along with his cousin Charlie Walker and friend Mitch Scott, got out their clubs for a golf challenge which involved the trio playing 100 holes at Denver Golf Club, near Downham Market.
They teed off at 7am on Saturday, August 31, completing their marathon effort just over 12 hours later at 7.30pm, covering a total of 13 miles.
Fred’s wife Nicole had to end a pregnancy back in 2022 losing their beloved baby who they named James Salvatore Power.
They received loving attention from staff at the hospital in Bury St Edmunds and were helped over their heartache through the bereavement suite.
Fred said: “We were put in the bereavement room of the hospital and the care that we were given and the way they looked after us was wonderful, they were all so compassionate towards us and helped us a great deal.”
He praised bereavement midwife Justine Ladds and her “amazing” team saying that he and his wife were so “appreciative” of the attention given to them.
That led to the golf challenge which resulted in a total of £479.49 being raised to help supply memory boxes for the bereavement team which help capture precious memories at such a difficult time.
The money came via donations after 35-year-old Fred, who is a project engineer at Baxter Healthcare, in Thetford, set up a social media Just Giving page.
Fred and his 31-year-old wife, a nursing assistant at the West Suffolk, have since gone on to have two children – Ruby-May who is 18 months old and Ronan who is now eight weeks old and they all now live in Mundford after moving from RAF Lakenheath.
Sally Daniels, fundraising manager at My WiSH, thanked Fred and his friends and family for their fundraising and added: “Losing a baby is just heartbreaking. If the bereavement suite and memory boxes make it just a little easier than that’s just fantastic.
“The bereavement midwifery team are incredible. Justine was on hand to support Fred and Nicole through the birth of their two other children which is just invaluable after losing James.”
Sally continued: “My WiSH couldn’t do what we do without the support of people like Fred. His generosity will go on to help other people should they need it.”