Welcome to Maddison’s Movement. Some of you may have stumbled across this section and others will purposefully be looking out for it, however if you’re new around here then I’ll start with a brief introduction:
Maddison Grace Hunt is our first born, little world that we never got to bring home. She survived just 24 weeks and 5 days on the inside before we got the devastating news that her time on earth wasn’t to be. She was delivered naturally on Monday 15th April 2019 at 3.55am after an intense but relatively short 9 hour labour, before spending a total of 19 hours in our arms. Later that day we said our final goodbyes to our beautiful baby girl. I’ve written a heartfelt and detailed account of the full story which you can find here.
The idea of Maddison’s Movement derived from the automatic parental instinct to keep her memory and name heard in order to achieve two main goals. The first, to help stun the taboo of baby loss and contribute to breaking the sense of shame that so many mums and dads carry so heavy following the loss of a baby and the second to raise funds towards the construction and function of a specific bereavement room located on the delivery suite of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where our little Maddison was born.
Perhaps we are biased in the way we view her, she is our daughter after all but we know just how many lives she’s already touched just through her short existence and to honour her and the person she would have been, we are determined to commit to improving the small community that surrounds us by allowing the conversation to remain open. There are many lessons that this little girl has taught us already and will only continue to teach us through her presence of many forms. Our hearts can never fully recover from her loss, nor would we ever want them too, but the strength she has given to us as individuals and as a team will ensure that we continue to navigate this world without her physical presence but learn to appreciate the new eyes we have been given and we promise to her not to take them for granted. I would do anything to bring her back, but no amount of wishes could ever do that so I have to move forward and I’d love it if you all came along this journey with me.
Together we can make a difference and I plead with anyone that has the ability, determination or care to help us in making Maddison’s Movement a thing of the future, to fundraise and understand the need for specific bereavement suites but most importantly to speak out. Please click here to visit JustGiving and help us reach our target of £2,000 to donate towards the baby bereavement appeal at the NNUH and to find out more about the physical and mental positive impact this room will have on future couples who will unfortunately benefit from this private space. Over on Instagram I ask you to share your efforts with the hashtag #maddisonsmovement and if you know someone who may have been in this similar situation, reach out and ask them how they are, no matter how much time has passed. We can all try to move forward, but we will never move on and a little word here or there to know we are in your thoughts is appreciated more than you’ll ever know.
If there is one thing I have become more aware of since the loss of Maddison, it’s how many others have been affected by something similar. We all grieve differently but I truly found solace in other’s stories and observing the methods in which they chose to channel any strength they had left. The links below are powerful words from those directly impacted by the loss of a baby and I encourage anyone who may find them of benefit to listen, read or learn.
- Stillbirth: Amanda Holden on Happy Mum, Happy Baby with Giovanna Fletcher:
- Neonatal Death: Elle Wright’s heart moving story of her son Teddy:
- Miscarriage and IVF: Izzy Judd shares her story and struggles: https://www.tommys.org/our-organisation/help-and-support/together-for-change/meet-people-behind-lens/izzy-judd
Thank You,
Ashleigh, Jason + Maddison. xo