Wymondham mum of stillborn son nominated for Tommy’s Award for giving hope to others online
Wymondham mum Laura Burdett has been nominated for a Tommy's Award for her blog Postcards for Findlay. Pictured here with son Leo. Picture: Louise Manning Photography - Credit: Louise Manning Photography
A Wymondham mum who has who has shared her grief to others online following the stillbirth of her son has been nominated for a national award.
Tom and Laura Burdett, with their son Leo, at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital with the foetal heart monitor bought from funds they raised after their first baby was stillborn. With them is Jo Knox, practice development midwife. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2016
Laura Burdett, 27, and her husband Tom were left devastated when their son Findlay was stillborn following a serious heart condition in July 2015.
As a means to cope with her grief, Mrs Burdett took to writing to make sense of his death, and a series of letters written to him evolved into the blog Postcards for Findlay. Mrs Burdett said: 'Postcards for Findlay is my way of including Findlay in all that we see and do; making memories for him and letting him know that, no matter how long, he will always be a constant presence in our hearts and in our thoughts.'
She has been shortlisted for a Tommy's Mum's Voice Award, which celebrates a mum who has spoken out about her pregnancy experience and given hope to others.
Friend Katrina Shaw, 29, who nominated Mrs Burdett for the award, said: 'Parenting after loss is a tricky and individual journey - the feelings of guilt can be crippling and the journey can be a lonely one.
'Through social media and her blog, Laura has confronted all of these feelings head on and given other mum's a place to share their own thoughts and feelings on parenting their sleeping babies, and their rainbows.
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'By speaking so eloquently and honestly about her struggles and triumphs, Laura has given a voice to both her own grief and the grief of others.'
The Wymondham couple donated a heart monitor to Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital's maternity ward in Findlay's memory in 2016, to prevent other parents going through similar trauma.
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Mrs Burdett has since given birth to a healthy baby boy, called Leo.
Now in its 23rd year, the Tommy's Awards recognise heroes and families who have been touched by pregnancy complications or the loss of a baby.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, March 16 at the Landmark Hotel in London.
