Sands Antigua & Barbuda

Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society

 

Registered Charity No. C51/08 

 

Helpline 722 0612 

 

Confidential Advice, Support and Information


P.O. Box 1874
Woods Centre
St. Johns
ph: Helpline 722 0612

 About Us

Sands Antigua & Barbuda is a new local support group, run on a voluntary basis offering totally confidential help and support to bereaved parents who have suffered the death of a baby either before, during or after birth.

 

This support is provided free of charge and is open to all bereaved parents, no matter how long ago their baby(s) died, their family and friends as well as health care professionals such as medical, nursing and midwifery staff.

 

If you are visiting this site because you have lost a baby whether recently or a long time ago, we are very sorry for your loss. Most of us at Sands Antigua & Barbuda have suffered the tragic loss of a very much loved baby or babies. We know how it feels - the grief, the isolation and the most intense emotions you can feel. We are just like you, Mothers and Fathers whose precious babies have died. No-one but another bereaved parent can truly understand the feelings of loss and despair.

Our Director however, has not lost a baby in this way, but is a midwife who has specialized in caring for bereaved parents for many years in the UK and has worked alongside them, striving to improve the care and support offered to them when their baby(s) have died.

 

By forming Sands Antigua & Barbuda we hope to put bereaved parents, their family and friends in touch with other bereaved parents and a Bereavement Support Midwife so that they have access to time, confidential support and helpful information.

CARON MILLARD
I qualified as a midwife in 1990 from Birmingham & Solihull College of Midwifery.
I worked full time as a midwife ever since as both a Senior Sister / Midwife Manager on Delivery Suite and as a Senior Sister in the Community Setting.
I have worked in both "High Risk Regional Referral Units" as well as "Low Risk" settings.
I was part of "The Bereavement Team" for many years before taking up the specialist position of Bereavement Support Midwife where I specialized in caring for parents who had lost their babies either before, during or after birth for three years. 
I also cared for many parents who had the very difficult decision to decide whether or not to terminate their pregnancies when their babies were found to have severe abnormalities. 
I covered the Gynaecological Ward where I cared for women and their partners who had suffered a miscarriage, the Paediatric Ward where I cared for parents who had lost an older child, the Neonatal Unit where I cared for parents loosing babies through prematurity and the Accident & Emergency Department where I cared for Parents who had lost their babies to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
 
Caring for and improving care provided to bereaved parents is very important to me and I will continue to work alongside bereaved parents and health care professionals wherever and whenever I can to raise awareness and improve care.

 

 JANDA SPINKS
My name is Janda and I am married to Nick and I am mum to four lovely children, Stacey, Nikita, Gino and Beau. Very sadly in 1990 we lost Nikita when he was six months old due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Nikita was born at twenty eight weeks gestation and spent four months in the Special Care Baby Unit. Fortunately he was able to be discharged on oxygen so we actually had two months at home with him as a family.
Nothing prepares you for the loss of your child but with the help of friends and family, the right support and time -  you can get through this.
Because of experiencing in person this most excruciatignly painful and sad loss of a child, I would like to help and support others through their painful experiences through Sands Antigua & Barbuda.

 

Maggie Thomas

My name is Magdalene Thomas and I am mother to Jenessa and Au'genelle Thomas who were both born on the 10th November 2006 and died at birth.

I am working alongside Caron because I know how it feels to loose a child and want to help others in dealing with the loss of a child. 



 

P.O. Box 1874
Woods Centre
St. Johns
ph: Helpline 722 0612