A REDDITCH man has reached the final in the ‘inspirational father’ category at the 2016 Butterfly Awards, which recognises those working in bereavement and loss support services.
Richard Atkinson lost his baby daughter Ava in May 2014 and has since dedicated his life to helping others cope with the loss of a child, setting up the Baby Ava’s Support Foundation, which creates keepsake memory boxes for parents who have lost babies.
Each box contains a hand and foot print cast kit, two identical teddies (one to remain with the child and the other for the parents) an angel candle, a keepsake bag for a lock of the child’s hair, a star on a chain and some Forget-me-not seeds that once planted will flower every year, and the boxes are donated to parents and hospitals completely free of charge
Richard said: “My mind has travelled to many dark places and I have struggled to cope with my grief, but supplying our memory boxes and knowing that parents will have some comfort helps me so much.
“Funds for the charity are raised mainly through donations and events, and I try to take part in as many as possible, including completing a cycle ride from Benidorm, where I was when Ava died, to Redditch, where she passed away.
“I am continually striving to raise awareness of baby loss so that I turn my grief into something positive in memory of our beautiful daughter Ava.”
Around 300 people are expected to attend the Butterfly Awards ceremony on Saturday (October 15) where guests are invited to remember and celebrate the strength and achievements of the nominees in categories including ‘Best bereavement worker’, ‘Best birth professional’ and ‘Best hospital bereavement service’.
Visit thebutterflyawards.com to find out more.
