How a Chesterfield couple who lost their newborn baby are helping other families facing the same tragedy

Chloe Colbeck and Roger Nicholson’s newborn son, Byron, sadly died at Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s birth centre on November 6 last year.

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Now, the couple have created special boxes – each one called Byron’s Memory – which are available to other bereaved families at the birth centre, offering them some comfort at an incredibly difficult time.

The boxes contain a variety of items, including teddies, blankets and candles as well as colouring books for siblings of little ones who have lost their lives.

Byron was born early, at just 21 weeks and tragically lived for only one hour.

Chloe, 25, said: “It was Bonfire Night 2019 and I went to work as normal for a late shift.

“I’d only been there for a few hours when the unimaginable happend.

“I can't thank my colleagues at Sainsbury’s enough for what they did for me that night.

“I was rushed to hospital to be told my baby was on his way.

“The next day our little boy made his arrival.

“There wasn’t anything they could do – he was born just two days before the cut off point of receiving any help.

“We accepted there was nothing they could do and tried to stay calm but it was hard, very hard.

“Byron fought for one hour before letting go in our arms.”

Chloe and Roger went through the bereavement process in The Meadows, a room within the Royal’s birth centre which is specifically decorated and furnished to help parents and families spend all the time they need with their baby so they can say ‘goodbye’ away from a clinical setting.

Chloe described The Meadows as a ‘beautiful room’ and added: “The midwives at Chesterfield Royal Hospital were amazing with us from the minute we arrived to when we left.

“With his dad being a funeral director, we were also able to take care of Byron’s funeral from start to finish – so it felt like we were able to go that extra mile for him.”

They later came up with the idea of creating the boxes for other families in the same situation.

Chloe said: “We thought for a while about something we could do to perhaps help others in our son’s memory so we decided to make our Byron’s Memory boxes to help families who are going through this heartbreak and also to help involve siblings with the bereavement process.

“We decided to do this because our son Eli, who was one at the time, didn’t really have anything to remember his little brother by.

“We received so much from the hospital but nothing we could really give Eli so we decided to try and change that for families in the future.

“Byron’s Memory boxes include a book called Precious Little People which explains baby loss in a non-religious way, we’ve put felt tip pens and a colouring book in there, there are battery powered candles they can light and there’s a wooden money box.

“We’ve had many people come forward to help us with the boxes – we’ve had some lovely donations of teddies, gowns and bracelets.

“The boxes also include keepsakes, a blanket and forget me not seeds – and more.

“They are covered with a sheet which features Byron’s handprint and the name Byron’s Memory which is our little tribute, showing where the inspiration for this idea came from.”

Chloe added: “Personally, creating these boxes has helped me cope so much better.

“Knowing we’ve been able to do something to help others while keeping Byron’s memory alive is really important to us as a family.”

Chloe, 40-year-old Roger and Eli delivered ten of the boxes to the Royal’s birth centre on Byron’s first birthday.

They are available for any family who finds themselves in the same, tragic circumstances.

And Chloe and Roger have already offered to make more of the boxes in the future so more families will have that bit of additional support.

Chloe addd: “We are now looking to help provide for more hospitals around Derbyshire in the future.

“In time we’d also love to become a registered charity.”

Julie Clark, lead midwife for birth trauma and bereavement at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, is full of praise for the couple.

She said: “I’d like to thank Chloe and Roger who have created something truly amazing from such a heartbreaking moment in their lives.

“It’s a lovely tribute to Byron and will be an enormous comfort to other families who go through a similar experience.”

Chloe also wanted to offer some words for parents who have lost their child.

She said: “Losing a baby or a child is one of the most heartbreaking things that can ever happen to a family – nobody should ever have to go through this.

“But one thing I'll say is this – just take one day at a time and remember it’s OK to cry and it’s OK to be angry.

“There’s no right or wrong way with how you should deal with losing a child.”

For more information about Byron’s Memory boxes and to find out how you can donate items to be included in them, visit www.facebook.com/Byronsmemory.

If you have lost a child and are in need of support, you can visit www.childbereavementuk.org for more information.

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