Service for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2025 (BLAW)

NHS Orkney in partnership with Orkney SANDs will once again be hosting a “Wave of Light” service as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Baby Loss Awareness Week runs from 9 – 15 October each year and is a time for everyone in the baby loss community and beyond to come together, to remember much-loved and missed babies, and raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss. Pregnancy and baby loss is often a taboo subject. You can help to break the silence around baby loss by talking to your friends, family, and colleagues about Baby Loss Awareness Week and by attending the service.

The Wave of Light service will take place on Wednesday 15 October from 6.30pm at the King Street Halls, Kirkwall. We realise that some people may not be able to attend in person and for those who can’t make it, the event will be livestreamed. The link to join the event is here, Baby Loss Awareness Service.

We encourage everyone who would like to light a candle in memory of babies lost, to do so at 7pm on Wednesday 15 October.

Additionally, we hope to have The Balfour lit blue and pink (the colour of the SAND’s charity) in support of BLAW.

Melissa Lindsay, Midwife and Sonographer at NHS Orkney said: “Working as Bereavement Midwife at The Balfour and volunteering as a bereaved parent for SANDS charity means BLAW is an event very close to my heart. It is so important to give families the opportunity to come together to remember their babies gone too soon. Supporting each other and showing that they are not alone. This service is for anyone affected by the loss of a pregnancy at any stage, for example, early miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy to stillbirth and neonatal death. There is no time limit on grief and we hope and encourage families who have been through loss many years ago take comfort in the service.”

Debs Crohn, Orkney SANDs volunteer said: “In 1994, I lost my first daughter, Lucy to Group B Strep. Experiencing the trauma of losing a baby in such tragic and avoidable circumstances changed my life forever. I promised Lucy I would do everything I could to ensure no other parents go through what we did when we said goodbye. That promise drives my passion for raising awareness of Group B Strep and supporting families affected by baby loss. As a SANDs volunteer and now Group B Strep trustee, I know how much comfort can come from simply being able to talk and be heard. By raising awareness and encouraging open conversations, we can help ensure that no one feels alone in their grief, and we can continue to improve support and outcomes for families across our community.”

You can find more information and support at https://www.sands.org.uk/