Poppy's Fund
Mission
No parent could ever prepare for the heart-breaking moment of losing a child. Carly and Roo Hodgson experienced their loss in October of 2017 when they were tragically told that their unborn daughter, Poppy, had died. This is what led to the founding of Poppy’s Fund. Although this was an understandably traumatic experience, Carly and Roo received support from specialized bereavement midwives at the Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital. Throughout their tragedy, and in the weeks and months that followed, the staff were inspirational and demonstrated outstanding care and compassion.
The Imperial Health charity works closely with Carly and Roo with the mission in mind to raise funds for Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital. This will ensure that whether the baby is healthy, or there are complications during pregnancy or birth the families will continue to receive first-class care from the maternity teams. With support, Poppy’s Fund aims to pay for specialist equipment, further training for staff and counselling for parents who have suffered bereavement or trauma.
Why It Matters
This year has been particularly challenging for NHS workers so it is especially important to show our support now. Poppy’s Fund can help make things easier and more accessible for the NHS maternity staff. The members of staff in triage, surgery and labour wards, and the ones behind the scenes are incredibly busy and do not always have everything they need at their disposal to make everyone’s experience a positive one. Unfortunately, many families require additional support which is difficult to access due to underfunding.
LEWIS are thrilled to support this charity so that hospitals such as Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital can continue to offer amazing service.
“I am delighted to be able to support a fund that has been able to turn the experience of losing Poppy into a such a positive and on-going memory. A charity extremely close to my heart founded by close family friends who are two of the most extraordinary and brave humans.” – Georgina Pilling, Account Director at LEWIS.