Norfolk Family's Festive Fundraising Supports Bereaved Parents
A family from Great Snoring in Norfolk has raised almost £2,500 to assist families coping with the devastating loss of a baby. Vanessa Green, 37, and her partner Steven Hall, 36, generated £2,437.83 through their annual Christmas lights switch-on, a festive raffle, and an online JustGiving page.
Their efforts have provided crucial equipment and comfort items for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Maternity Unit, offering meaningful support during an incredibly difficult period. The funds have been used to purchase a CuddleCot, a privacy pram, as well as small teddy bears and maternity clothing for bereaved families.
Essential Equipment for Grieving Families
A CuddleCot is a specially designed cooling mattress that allows parents to spend precious extra time with their baby after they have died, either in hospital or at home. This time can be invaluable for families as they create memories and say goodbye in their own way.
The privacy pram is a discreet buggy used within the hospital to help families move sensitively between wards, the mortuary, or for peaceful final walks, including in hospital gardens. These items complement other forms of support available at QEH, such as the Butterfly Garden—a dedicated, quiet space for reflection and remembrance developed in partnership with families who have experienced baby loss.
Inspired by Personal Trauma
Vanessa and Steven were motivated to fundraise after their own traumatic experience nearly losing their first-born son, Stanley, to sepsis when he was just one-day-old. Thankfully, Stanley survived and is now a happy and healthy six-year-old—and brother to Sidney, two—but the experience deeply affected the family.
Vanessa said: “Since that moment, I’ve always felt I wanted to give back to families who weren’t as lucky as we were. Steven and I know how incredibly fortunate we were, and if we can ease someone else’s pain, even just a little, that means everything to me.”
Community Support Exceeds Expectations
Each year, the couple decorates their home with Christmas lights and hosts a festive switch-on event—a tradition originally started by Steven’s father. This year, they focused their fundraising on supporting bereaved families within the hospital’s Maternity Unit, aiming to ensure compassionate care, dignity, and comfort remain central.
Initially setting a target of £1,500—enough for one CuddleCot—Vanessa and Steven expanded their efforts with a festive raffle and approached local businesses for support. The community response surpassed all expectations, with prizes including gardening equipment, a £300 lawnmower, tickets to the Thursford Collection, food and drink vouchers, and family day-out experiences.
The raffle alone raised £1,040, while the Christmas lights switch-on brought in £594.83, and the JustGiving page raised £803.
Hospital Staff Express Gratitude
Esther Dorken, head of midwifery at The QEH, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Vanessa, Steven and the entire community for this wonderful donation. The CuddleCot and privacy pram will make a profound difference to families at an unimaginably difficult time, allowing them dignity, privacy and the precious gift of time with their baby.”
Chloe Barham, bereavement midwife at The QEH, added: “The generosity shown by Vanessa, Steven and their community is truly humbling. Equipment such as the CuddleCot and privacy pram gives families the time, space and dignity they need following the loss of a baby. These moments are incredibly precious, and this donation will make a real and lasting difference to the care and support we are able to offer bereaved parents at the most difficult time of their lives.”
