Bereaved mum Lauren Brydson, raises over £27,000 to fund a memorial Tree of Tranquillity to support bereaved families across Dumfries and Galloway.
Lauren and her husband Chris, received a Memory Box from the baby loss charity, SiMBA in 2017 after they lost their daughter Taylor. The couple then sadly went onto lose another 5 babies, including their son Robbie who was born prematurely in March 2019 and lived for just 6 hours. “After we lost Robbie, I felt determined to have a place in Dumfries for families to go.”
Lauren contacted SiMBA on the 23rd March and within days had established the D&G Fundraising committee. “The committee just almost happened over night. From suggesting the idea of fundraising for a Tree, family and friends just got on board, sharing the same enthusiasm as I did.”
The committee went onto raise a staggering £27,289, smashing their initial £18,000 target! They organised a series of fundraising events, culminating in their Little Footprints ball hosted by Amy Irons that raised an amazing £7,605.17!
The Tree will be installed in the grounds of the Crichton Trust in Dumfries. Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive of The Crichton Trust said: “The Crichton has long been a place of peace and reflection. We are humbled that the grounds have been chosen as a home for a Tree of Tranquillity and all the loved and lost lives it will represent. We believe the surroundings of The Crichton will through the seasons provide a beautiful backdrop to such a very special Tree”.
Sara Fitzsimmons MBE RM (SiMBA CEO) said “Lauren and her team have been inspirational fundraisers for SiMBA, they are an amazing example of what can be done when a community gets behind a project. The Trees of Tranquillity are not just for the newly bereaved but also those who sadly lost their baby many years ago. I would like to thank The Crichton Trust, who have been incredibly supportive of this project.”
When asked why the Trees of Tranquillity are so important, Lauren said – “I think the idea of the Tree of Tranquillity is beautiful, and so important for families. The tree will give families a place to go to remember their baby, especially for those who had earlier losses and didn’t have the opportunity for a funeral. It will also be a stunning and powerful way to show the love we all have for our precious babies, and it will bring people together.”
Lynsi Mills, who also fundraised for this project following the loss of her son Harison “The tree will mean so much to me, as someone who struggles to go to the graveyard as I don’t find it comforting it will be lovely to have somewhere to go to remember Harison. It will be nice to be able to go there with my little boy Kaii also.”
Leaves for the Dumfries Tree of Tranquillity can be requested through the charity website: www.simbacharity.org.uk
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