THE cinema tower at Festival Place in Basingstoke recently shone blue and pink to show support for Baby Loss Awareness week. 

Baby Loss Awareness Week is a national event that aims to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, and this year to show their support, the tower at Festival Place shone pink and blue between October 9 and 15. 

Rebecca Merritt-Dickins, who works at a retailer at Festival Place, asked for the shopping centre to take part in memory of her and her husband Sean’s daughter, Norianwe – Nori – who died aged just 10 weeks.

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Nori was born in Basingstoke on April 2 this year, only 26 weeks into Rebecca’s pregnancy, weighing 1lb 6oz.

Rushed straight to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Nori suffered a bleed on the brain, which led to a build-up of fluid causing hydrocephalus.

After four weeks, Rebecca and Sean, who live in Basingstoke, made the difficult decision to put their daughter onto palliative care. A week later they asked for their daughter to be moved back to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital Neonatal Unit, where they were able to spend their remaining time together.

Since losing their baby girl in June, Rebecca has gone on to set up the Ducks for Nori bereavement card service, which sends cards from Nori, Rebecca and Sean to other bereaved parents offering love, comfort and support on the loss of their pregnancy or their baby.

She is also taking part in other events for Baby Loss Awareness Week around Basingstoke and is raising funds for the Basingstoke Neonatal Unit.

Rebecca said: "This is our first year being part of this community and to keep our daughter’s memory alive we have been doing everything we can to raise awareness of baby loss.

“The fact that Festival Place has agreed to light up the tower means everything to us. They are helping to keep our daughter and all the other lost babies’ memories alive. It will fill the hearts of so many parents and families to see the colours displayed on the tower for all to see.”

To know more, go to babyloss-awareness.org/pink-blue/ and  ducksfornori.wordpress.com/