Baby loss memorial sculpture installed at Peterborough City Hospital

The hand-crafted sculpture, made by a local artist, is constructed of steel, with intricate nature-themed details.

The idea for the tribute came from Midwife Afton Cope, who tragically lost her little boy, Charlie, following a complicated pregnancy in 2023.

A spokesperson for North West Anglia NHS Hospitals Trust (NWAFT) which runs the hospital, said: “Afton, her sister, Lorren, a Nurse at PCH, and Bereavement Midwife, Lesley Carline, met with local artist Jeni Cairns to develop ideas for the stunning six-foot-wide sculpture that also features ornately crafted birds, flowers and insects.”

Afton said: “I know all too well how it feels to walk in these hospital doors with life growing inside of you, and to walk out with empty arms and an empty womb. You feel invisible, as all other parents walk around you with their babies for the world to see. Our aim here is for bereaved parents to feel seen and acknowledged. I will pass this sculpture every day and remember not only my son, but all the babies that could not stay.”

Afton and her sister Lorren have been supported by North West Anglia Hospitals Charity in bringing the idea to life.

The spokesperson continued: “It is intended that during national Baby Loss Awareness Week, which takes place every October, families who have experienced the loss of a baby can tie ribbons to the sculpture as a mark of remembrance.”

Artist, Jeni Cairns, who is based in Coates, near Peterborough, designed and made the impressive piece of corten steel artwork in the course of just two weeks.

She said: “This was a really special piece to be asked to make. It was important for me to capture elements of the natural world, such as forget-me-not flowers, bees, birds and rabbits, to create a lasting tribute that reminds us all how we are connected with the beauty of the world around us.”

She added: “I hope it will bring comfort to those who have experienced such a sad loss.”