Memory Boxes

We treasure the memories we have of our babies and no matter how little they were, they touch our hearts. Philip’s Footprints offers a range of memory boxes to include very early losses through to child loss up to 18 years old.

Data Protection laws prevent us from being told who receives a memory box or when, so if you have received one rest assured your details remain confidential. However, this does also mean that we are unable to contact you but please contact us if you have any questions or would like to meet and talk to someone who has been there (and survived).

Later Loss Memory Box – a selection of contents

Philip’s Footprints memory boxes help parents create as many precious memories as possible in the short time available. They are gifted to parents and include where appropriate

• a range of memory making and keepsakes items
• support information
• adults and children’s books on grief and loss.
• a letter to parents, lists of photographs to take and things to do as helpful prompts when they may be too shocked to think clearly.
• opportunity to have 3D casts of hands and feet taken and framed

Where families had not had the opportunity to meet the baby, these memory boxes allow parents to share memories of their precious baby with loved ones.

When losses are early and the baby may be too small to create memories, we recognise that a little life is not a little loss. We include keepsake items that we hope will offer a little comfort in the days, weeks and months to come.

A memory box is a safe place to keep all these memories and other precious things until they are ready to popen it up. There are no right or wrong things for parents to include, only those things that are special. To hold, touch and remember is a natural and normal way to adjust to their loss.

I had thought about it, but the confusion was all too much and my emotions were all over the place. This was going to be an awful day, a day that would be with me forever. Did I really need any more reminders? At that moment, I felt not.

We were handed a beautiful white box, I felt really touched by this gesture but more than anything, totally thankful. Inside were almost all of the items that I just couldn’t bring myself to pack. It offered all parents a chance to remember their baby in the way they choose, without any pressure.

A camera was also there to use if you chose to and the memory card could be taken home to keep. I sit here now with treasured photos of a baby that if not for Jo and her motivation to create such a worthy charity, I would not have.

Memory boxes are distributed to the Maternity Unit, Rayner Clinic, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Robin Ward, Jersey Hospice and Family Nursing and Home Care pediatric care teams.

Early Loss Memory Box contents