Memories wrapped in love

When Maxine and Simon McFarland discovered they were expecting their second child, it felt like a miracle.

"After their daughter Rae, becoming pregnant again with Daniel at the age of 44 felt wonderful. Rae was thrilled at the thought of becoming a sister."

"It was at this point we were introduced to Children's Hospice Nurse Bethany McCracken. I felt like an angel had come alongside us. Bethany transformed our journey."

"I had no clue what Edwards' Syndrome was, or what it meant for us as a family with our little girl at home waiting for her sibling to arrive."

"Bethany explained to us what this condition would meant for Daniel, and was able to reassure us that he could have quality of life through the support of Hospice."

"Bethany also gently helped Rae process what was happening in ways a child could understand. Using creative activities and play to support her through emotions no five-year-old should ever have to carry alone. You cannot quantify the difference that makes. You simply cannot go through this on your own. When Daniel was born on 10 June 2022, Bethany was there."

"When we arrived, there was artwork waiting for Rae, toys laid out, and a special room prepared just for her. Her little eyes lit up."

Maxine, Simon and Rae treasured every moment making memories with Daniel and the Hospice nurses spent special time with Rae, helping her make perfumes, memory boxes and artwork, giving her space to play, process and simply be a child.

"It is special people that work in NI Hospice. The nurses instantly felt like lifelong friends."

"We received memory artwork from Bethany featuring Daniel's tiny footprints and handprints. Those are some of the only things we have of Daniel now. They are incredibly precious.  Even after we returned home, Bethany continued helping Rae work through her grief with creative activities like planting flowers in Daniel's memory and building memory boxes."

"As a mental health counsellor myself, I understood grief professionally but grieving alongside a child of my own was something entirely different. With Bethany’s support, I had the confidence to do that. She helped me trust in how children grieve differently. Rae would ‘puddle jump’ in and out of grief, while adults often feel submerged in it. Allowing myself to follow Rae’s lead was healing for me too."

"Hospice has to raise most of its own funding, but the support it provides changes everything. Daniel brought love with him. He showed us what truly matters. That's what hospice did for us and it changes lives."