A mother from County Londonderry who gave birth to her stillborn son on a busy labour ward has successfully campaigned for a dedicated bereavement suite at Antrim Area Hospital. Louise Gray, 33, was 35 weeks pregnant when she learned her baby, Henry Gray, had died during a routine check-up last May.
Unlike other maternity units in Northern Ireland, Antrim Area Hospital lacked a bereavement suite, forcing Louise to deliver Henry in a clinical setting surrounded by the sounds of live births. 'I had to walk past all the other delivery suites. You're hearing those first newborn cries. Nothing was more deafening to us,' she said.
After Henry's death, Louise and her husband Harry contacted their local MLA and then health minister Robin Swann, advocating for funding for a bereavement suite. Their efforts, combined with fundraising, raised £28,800—far exceeding their initial £3,000 goal. The suite, currently under construction, will include a double bed, microwave, and coffee machine to provide a private, comfortable space for grieving parents.
Louise, who is now pregnant again and being cared for at Antrim, said the new facility will offer comfort to others. 'It may seem materialistic but they're things you would appreciate so you can stay behind a closed door and cry all day,' she explained. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust confirmed the suite will open in early summer.
