To our darling superstar niece Roxy. It’s hard to try and find the words that can convey how much you are loved and missed. Just impossible. The bravest, the most courageous. We love you dearly. Now and forever ❤️❤️❤️

To Roxy Roo, we miss you so much, the six months we got to spend with you were amazing, and we miss caring for you so much, we miss your eyes, bum tapping you to calm you and your cute cheeks. Seeing your twin brother growing without you is heartbreaking and I wish you could be back by his side. You will always be with us, we love you so much, Love Daddy, Mummy, Coby and Kyan xx

To our darling superstar niece Roxy. It’s hard to try and find the words that can convey how much you are loved and missed. Just impossible. The bravest, the most courageous. We love you dearly. Now and forever ❤️❤️❤️

To Roxy, We are so proud to call you our niece. Strength and braveness you had in abundance. We love you forever and always Roxy

Our sweet girl, how we miss you so deeply! Not a day goes by where we don’t wish to hold you and love on you. Life isn’t the same without you here, you were the missing piece to our little family. Time is passing so quickly but that just brings us closer to the day we can snuggle you again. We love you endless amounts miss Lily and will continue to include and remember you in all of our days in any way we can! Love Mummy, Daddy, William and bump xxx

Sweet Melancholy Along the deep sadness and pain Is also joy A joy that comes from knowing you A short but memorable stay Along the heartbreak Is also great contentment You made me a mother And what a ride it was A combination of blood, sweat and tears But lots of love too Along side the unimaginable pain Is also deep gratitude We were chosen for each other A child that shouldn’t have been born Said a doctor, I have sickle cell after all A child that shouldn’t have been kept alive Said many a consultants here Well, life would be too hard, they said What they didn’t know was You were already chosen for me And I you And even if that was just for a day I wouldn’t have lived without While life has been very hard on some days My life is incomplete without you It would never be the same For me it was never struggle Or even sacrifice It was love All of it All I did I choose to do God forbid If I should remind you Of all that I ever had to do for you To hold over you As a bargaining chip You were always more important You came first It just made sense to me In fact It’s all that you did for me That makes it hard But I will hold on to it To the lessons you brought for me But how to live life too So while I mourn I rejoice too For I can hurt and heal At the same time Again you embody your name Even in death There is so much grace I love you and Would always do @NjaayyourStoryTellingPoet 4/12/24

Emily Matilda whitton To our daughter Emily Matilda Whitton. You are our brightest star in the sky every night. Daddy always talks about the day you were born and how you made him a daddy and he always treasures very moment darling and how much joy you brought to him. Always loved and never forgotten love daddy and mummy

To our daughter Emily Matilda Whitton. You are our brightest star in the sky every night. Mummy and daddy always look out every night to see you shine bright up there. You always be loved and never forgotten for all the joy you brought to mummy and daddy.

Near, far wherever you are We love you always xx

My meeting with the Divine Like many parents here today when we first realise the enormity of having to come to terms with finding out our children have a life limiting condition it is truly devastating news. Your world comes crashing down on you and you wonder how you will continue….but you do, somehow day by day you come to accept that which was unthinkable. You find a way to get through your days and then it becomes your normality…you then come to accept the imperfections and yes there are days when it’s achingly challenging to live with but you get through day by day clasping at the little victories you get whilst in the midst of this battle. You look into your children’s eyes and you know why you have to keep going and you do…and so it continues… We have to grow and learn to accept for that which we can’t change and be grateful for the things we can And though what we travel through and face feels covered in darkness I’ve found that with from that darkness comes our greatest enlightenments… honestly I believe all that is good within me comes from my experience of living with these beautiful souls. What I’ve come to learn from these souls that are sent to us is they should be seen as gifts. Opportunities to express the best aspects of being a human being. Because when I reflect on the lives of my 2 girls Govind and Kirpa and although I feel sad for their loss I feel a great sense of gratitude for the gifts they gave me whilst on this earth in such a short time. They have taught me the virtues of patience, to be grateful for every moment of joy, to live in the now, to never judge anyone, to learn what it means to sacrifice, and above all they increased my capacity for empathy and love. The beauty of love is that it’s non physical in essence….everything that’s physical in this world is perishable but love is a non physical part of our lives that should we choose to understand its power it remains with us always…in the beautiful memories we create and the love we share…it’s truly eternal and nobody or nothing can take that from you… I’ve come to understand that love is the true definition of that which we choose to call Divine and that’s why I refer to my children as my meeting with the divine. To all the parents here today I want to say you’re not alone, we’re all in this together and I hope you find comfort in the love, memories and the boon of divinity our children left with us…thank you. Love you Vind, love you Kips.

I’ve not learned to live without you perhaps I never will? The truth of the matter is, you are always with me still. – Donna Ashworth

The Oak Tree A mighty wind blew night and day. It stole the Oak Tree’s leaves away. Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark until the Oak was tired and stark. But still the Oak Tree held its ground while other trees fell all around. The weary wind gave up and spoke, How can you still be standing Oak?” The Oak Tree said, I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away, shake my limbs and make me sway. But I have roots stretched in the earth, growing stronger since my birth. You’ll never touch them, for you see they are the deepest part of me. Until today, I wasn’t sure of just how much I could endure. But now I’ve found with thanks to you, I’m stronger than I ever knew.

Sometimes the greatest journey is a single step.