THE FAMILIES of still-born babies do not get enough support, according to one mother working to raise awareness of the issue.

Katrina Hawkins lost her son Shayne when she was 23 weeks pregnant and was left saddened by the lack of support following his death last March.

The Darlington mother is now attempting to provide support in the local community by arranging events and initiatives to help grieving families.

The 29-year-old holds regular coffee mornings and is arranging a fundraising event in a bid to provide memory boxes for hospitals to give to parents.

She said: “The experience is really difficult to go through and there’s not a lot of support out there.

“In hospital, a bereavement midwife came to see me and she phoned once or twice when I was home but then I was just left and that was it.

“You don’t realise how hard it is until you’re going through it and I found it difficult to find somebody to talk to."

The Northern Echo:

HELPING HAND: Katrina Hawkins with her husband, Ian, and children Harrison, Makayla and Jaydn

To mark the first anniversary of Shayne’s death, a charity fun day will take place at the Elim Pentecostal Church in Darlington on Saturday, March 15 from 1pm to 4pm.

Money raised at the event will go towards the creation of memory boxes to be donated to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Mrs Hawkins said: “They’ll contain a candle, some plant bulbs and a little certificate.

“Because I was only 23 weeks pregnant, I couldn’t get a birth or death certificate for Shayne and it was almost as if he never existed.

“Putting a little certificate in the memory box will prove the baby was a person and will hopefully bring some comfort.”

Borrowed Angels coffee mornings take place at the Elim Pentecostal Church on the first Monday of every month between 9.30am and 11am.