Registered Charity Number: 1203683
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Rory Harrison Clifford
"... and we wept that one so lovely, should have a life so brief"
His Story
Rory Harrison Clifford was born on 24th October 2019, and died on 2nd November 2019 from sudden infant death syndrome (sometimes called cot death).
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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby.
In the UK, around 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year. This statistic may sound alarming, but SIDS is rare and the risk of your baby dying from it is low.
Most deaths happen during the first 6 months of a baby's life. Infants born prematurely or with a low birthweight are at greater risk. SIDS also tends to be slightly more common in baby boys.
SIDS usually occurs when a baby is asleep, although it can occasionally happen while they're awake.
NHS Website
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Rory is our inspiration for the founding of
Baby Rainbow Memorial Gardens.
Rainbows have been incredibly significant to us since Rory's passing. It rained for many days after he died and we included lots of rainbows at his funeral because we wanted to celebrate his short life with lots of colour. If a rainbow ever comes out, we tell our kids that Rory is here with us and in our hearts, and we think that true for every family who have lost a baby.
Rainbows have continued to play a significant part in our own grieving process, and that is why they have such a profound meaning in this project.
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When working through the initial stages of our grief, we found it extremely hard to find somewhere we could go to commemorate Rory’s life in a space that we felt comfortable. We fully acknowledge and appreciate the beauty and serenity of other Baby Memorial Gardens at the local crematoriums and cemeteries; but through our own experience, we felt they were too closely associated with death and sadness and found the environment only heightened our distress.
We have been working together with local MP, Holly Mumby-Croft and North Lincolnshire Councillors Robert Waltham and Chris Ramsbottom to create a memorial garden, where families who have lost a child can gather.
It was always our mission to include ALL families who have lost babies before, during or after birth. Many families who suffer the loss of a baby before 24 weeks’ gestation do not have their baby's life registered, and we knew immediately, that we had to provide this space for those families too.
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It is our firm belief, that the garden can help support the bereaved community in keeping the mind focused on something beautiful and symbolic while dealing with grief in a constructive way.
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