our volunteers
“I signed up to volunteer for Footsprints because when my son Henry died I felt very alone and didn’t feel I had anywhere to turn to. I wished I could have spoken to other Mums who had lost a twin so I decided to become a befriender so that other Mums in a similar situation didn’t have to feel so alone.”
Jodie, mum of twins Henry and Adam
Meet Our Volunteers
We are truly grateful to all our Footprints Baby Loss volunteers who volunteer in whatever capacity. We are lucky to have such a fantastic group of befrienders, fundraisers, online community moderators, event organisers etc.
Who are our volunteers?
Some people find it helpful to volunteer for a charity or organisation that has supported them, following the death of their baby or babies. We often find that families who were once supported by us want to help others. For some this can be just a few years on and for others it can be many years later; there is no timeframe. It might be something that you want to do in memory of your child.
“I began volunteering to offer support to families who had been through a similar experience as myself. It was important to be able to offer support to others that I had once received.”
“As well as finding volunteering rewarding, it also helped me keep the memory of my twins alive, and I felt like something positive was coming from something so awful.”
alison
ben
EMMA
Hi I’m Emma.
I gave birth to my identical twin boys at 26+3 weeks after a completely straight forward pregnancy to that point. Twin 1, Oscar had a very tough journey into the world and passed away after 36 hours fighting. Our survivor Charlie spent 12 weeks in total in NICU and was discharged shortly before his due date.
My befriender helped to show me that I wasn’t alone in my grief journey and the support this gave me was totally invaluable so I am now trying to give back to the community that gave me so much support when I needed it.
faye
Geetha
Hi, I’m Geetha Priyanka,
Alongside volunteering for Footprints Baby Loss website, I run an ecommerce business, Organic Leafware, focused on eco friendly products and manage food blog Flavours Treat.
holly
Hi, I’m Holly.
During our dating (12 week) scan, not only did we find out that we were expecting twins, but that one of our twins, Eirian, was unwell. Further tests highlighted mounting health complications, leading to the heartbreaking decision of having a TFMR during my second trimester. I carried and birthed Eirian alongside their twin Madoc in 2024 who was born slightly early due to Fetal Growth Restriction.
As a twin (to a boy) myself, and having twin sisters, navigating my grief and reconstructing the meaning of my experience has been challenging and a path I will continue to learn and grow on.
Jay
In 2006, I was told at an 8 week scan that I was pregnant with identical twins. We were a mixture of excited and scared!! I had been given an early scan due to a single miscarriage before. However, at the 12-week scan, we were then told there was a slight flicker on one baby instead of a solid heartbeat. They said it was something called TRAP Sequence. Where one baby doesn’t have a heart, so the other twin is pumping blood for both babies. We were told to come back in 2 weeks & they would intervene by saving the baby with the heart.
At the 14-week scan, we were informed that both babies had died and there was nothing more they could do.
On 4th December 2006, I had to deliver my identical twin babies. It was the most emotionally painful experience ever. I saw their tiny, weak little bodies leave mine and will never forget it. I was unable to get the placenta out and ended up losing so much blood that I needed a blood transfusion.
I already had an older daughter, who was 9 years old, when we lost our twins.
We did go on to have a rainbow baby who came along on 25th Jan 2008. She is called Gia, and she is the light in our lives and knows all about her siblings we lost in 2006.
I am very grateful to my befriender who supported me through this painful time in my life. Someone who truly understood how I was feeling. So I chose to become a befriender myself in 2007 and love talking about my babies to keep their memory alive. Also, I love helping families understand that it’s truly ok to still be missing your babies 10 / 15 years on. But it does get easier with time. You NEVER get over it, you learn to live with it.
Jeanne
jen
jess
In November 2019 my twin boys were born early – it was my first pregnancy. James died after thirty-six hours and Rudy died aged four and a half months. Spending months in NICU fighting for one baby and grieving for the other was overwhelming. The experience was extremely isolating and at times I felt unable to cope. Not knowing whether my living baby would survive through each night was mentally exhausting.
During this time, I spoke to Sharon regularly who listened to me, comforted me and made me feel less alone. Sometimes I talked a lot and other times I wanted her to talk to me instead – it was a real lifeline for me. When Rudy died, I found it very difficult to accept because he had been doing so well and had even been able to come home for a few days. Sharon was still there for me. I found it helpful that she knew my whole story and I could therefore be real and raw with her.
Being a befriender now is very important to me. I want to give other people the opportunity to have the support, love and comfort that I was given by my own befriender.
jess
I’m Jess, a proud mum to three boys. My identical twins, Ezra and Rowan, and their little brother, Jenson.
My journey into motherhood has been filled with both immense love and unimaginable challenges. During my twin pregnancy, my sons were diagnosed with TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome) and sIUGR (selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction), which led to fetal laser surgery. Devastatingly, Ezra lost his heartbeat following the procedure. A short time later, after experiencing PPROM, Rowan was born at just 27 weeks’ gestation and faced a long and challenging journey in the NICU.
The loss of Ezra will always be a part of our family, and Rowan’s strength continues to inspire me every day. Alongside our youngest son, Jenson, they remind me daily of the incredible resilience that can grow alongside grief.
These experiences are what led me to volunteer with Footprints. I know how isolating and overwhelming pregnancy complications, loss and the NICU journey can feel, and I hope to offer families the support that I received, as I want people to know they do not have to walk this journey alone, like this charity has shown me.
jo
JODIE
Hello, I’m Jodie!
I gave birth to my identical twin boys, Henry and Adam, on the 23 rd March 2020 (the day most of you will remember as the day the country went into our first lockdown)! All was well, both boys were thriving until day 3 when, seemingly out of the blue, Henry contracted NEC (Necrotising Enterocolitis) and due to this awful disease, he died at 6 days old from E Coli Septicemia. Adam continued to thrive and when he was 6 months old, I fell pregnant with my daughter, Rosie. This pregnancy was a complete shock and unplanned. Dealing with the emotions of losing a child, bringing a child home, and falling pregnant again was a lot but I want to help anyone that might be in a similar situation.
Kristie
My identical twin girls, Scarlett May and Brooke Catherine, were born sleeping on 5th April 2020 at 32 weeks. I am also a mother to two rainbows Harlan, born in 2021, and Courtney, in 2022.
I have had incredible support from other bereaved parents since losing my girls which has really got me through the hardest of times. It is so important to me to help provide a safe environment to support others who need it and ensure there is a place where my girls and other babies are always recognised and remembered.
laura
laura
Liz
I’m Liz and I’m a befriender with Footprints. I have 2 older children who were 8 & 6 when we lost the twins and I’ve subsequently had another child.
I was expecting fraternal twins due Christmas 2015. At the 20 week scan I found out I was going to have two boys but one of them, Oscar, had two faulty valves in his heart and he sadly died at 27 weeks. My surviving twin, Felix, remained unaffected and my pregnancy continued albeit with high levels of anxiety.
At 33 weeks, I went into premature labour and I gave birth to the twins via c section. Felix was extremely well at birth, crying, weighing 4lb 6oz and a 9 on his APGAR scores. He was only in NICU rather than SCBU due to bed shortages. Sadly, at 5 days old, he developed NEC and after an emergency transfer to St Mary’s hospital in Manchester, he died, less than 24 hours after developing symptoms. It was an incredible shock, not just to us, but also to the medical professionals.
To lose two separate babies in two unrelated events; life changed; forever. At the time, it felt like I had lost my rainbow baby and it took me a long time to accept them as twins.
I had a befriender throughout the second half of my pregnancy and have experienced how important a befriender can be. I found it invaluable speaking to someone who had been through what I was going through and had a life at the end of it, when at that point I couldn’t see beyond the pain and darkness. I hope to be able to help other parents going through this situation and in doing so, also honour my twins’ memory.
louise
Louise
Hi I’m Louise.
I had a complicated twin pregnancy in which I was hospitalised and needed an emergency stitch when I found out I was in early labour at 21 weeks. The stitch worked but my waters broke with twin one at 24 weeks and I gave birth to Luna and Luca at 25 weeks.
Although Luca presented as the stronger twin at first he contracted NEC and died very suddenly at 3 days old. Luna spent a further 89 days in NICU before finally coming home.
I felt very overwhelmed and alone in this journey and struggled with having a survivor and the happiness alongside guilt that it causes. I had a befriender who helped me feel supported and answered questions. She made me feel seen and heard.
I now have the pleasure of giving back to the community who still continue to support me by being a volunteer and befriender to this amazing charity. I also get to keep Luca’s memory alive!
MARIA
On 5th October 2012 my precious identical twin daughters, Lily and Elissa were born at 27 weeks caused by TTTS. After fighting for their lives and being looked after in NICU, Elissa sadly passed away after 8 hours. Then 9 days later on the 14th of October, her sister Lily also lost her fight for survival. They were so beautiful and perfect in every way but just too tiny to survive.
Ever since they had died I wanted to create something positive from this devastating tragedy. The end goal was to help people going through the pain and heartache my family and I had endured. I started by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro just 8 months after the death of my daughters, raising money for a twin loss charity. After this I continued to raise money for various charities in their honour.
After Lily and Elissa died I was very fortunate to have Sharon as my befriender. She was amazing, so lovely and kind, which was much needed at a time where I felt isolated and lonely in my grief. Sharon and the bereavement group were a huge comfort, so supportive, and a safe place where my feelings were validated. This inspired me to become a befriender, and although it was heartbreaking to hear from others with a similar experience, it felt good to help someone through the same tragic loss.
MARSHA
My identical twin boys, John-Paul and Christopher, were born on 26 January 2020 at 24 weeks. John was born sleeping whilst Chris was with us for about 24 minutes. I am also a mother to another two beautiful boys, Sebastian and Zachary, who are 5 and 2 years old.
When I lost my twins I felt all alone and like no one would and could understand what I was going through. Luckily I was put in touch with Sharon, through a charity, and through her and the rest of the community I received a lot of help. I didn’t feel alone anymore and began to feel part of a community where people had been through a similar experience and understood me without me having to say or explain much.
A year or so on from losing my twins I felt like I wanted to help others like Sharon and others had helped me. This is when I started befriending and helping with the online community. Through my lived experience I believe I can offer some kind of help to families who are going through a similar experience.
mYriam
Nez
Nicola
Owen
Phil
Sam
Sam
Sam
In 2014 we were told the exciting news we were expecting identical twin girls we found out very quickly they shared the same sac and placenta, this posed a huge risk to the pregnancy and its outcome.
Sadly at 17 weeks we found out both our babies had died and I had to be induced into labour and started the process of coming to terms with our loss.
We already had a 2 year old son and were lucky enough since to have a daughter to complete our home.
10 years on now I feel it’s time for me to use our experience in a positive light to help families in similar circumstances.
I have gone on to have a fulfilled and happy 10 years since and hopefully can show others that the darkness and heartache does lift overtime with support.
Sarah
Sarah
tina
I’m Tina and my twins Cassia and Bella were born born April 2019, my situation is unusual on here as there were no complications with the pregnancy or birth but we lost Cassia 3 days before their 1st birthday in April 2020 in an accident at home. I also have an older daughter who was 6 at the time.
Initially I decided to talk to a professional counsellor but as time went on I found I wanted to speak to someone who’d been in a similar position and was put in touch with a befriender by Sharon, and later became a befriender myself.
SHIMONA
One of my twin boys, Arran, was stillborn in November 2016. His surviving twin is Kieran and we have been lucky to have a rainbow baby, Aidan, born in 2019. My pregnancy had come after several years of IVF and seemed healthy until my third trimester when I was diagnosed with a condition called ICP (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy) which sadly resulted in sudden heart failure for Arran just two days before my planned c- section.
A few months afterwards, I spoke to Sharon who introduced me to a fantastic befriender. She had lived some of what I was feeling and was further along the journey so able to offer reassurance and empathy. I knew early on that I would like to offer the same support as a befriender and did so a couple of years later. I am sad that we are all part of this group but so grateful for the amazing people I have met. It means so much to be able to be there for people, just as others have been there for me.
tracey
Vikki
In 2012, I fell pregnant with identical twin girls. At the 16 weeks scan we were told that both girls had died. They had died of cord entanglement. I have also suffered 6 other miscarriages, ranging from 5 weeks to 10 weeks. I have 2 living children, Jenson and Aria.
I unfortunately didn’t receive great support from the hospital when my twins died and it was a lonely experience for me. I did have private therapy though which did help.
In 2017, I had the opportunity to become a Befriender. I really wanted to get involved with something that I was so passionate about as I didn’t want someone else to experience baby loss the way I had. Being a Befriender is so rewarding. Knowing that I have been able to help other bereaved parents is incredibly special and you really feel a connection within the baby loss community. Not only do I get to talk about the babies that have been lost but I also get to talk about my babies too. It was devastating losing my girls but I get to keep their memory alive by helping others and that is something I will always be grateful for. For me, the crucial part of Befriending is being able to say “I understand”.
Zena
I’m Zena and I’m a befriender here at Footprints. My twin boys, Ramy and Jonah, were born in March 2021. Whilst I was pregnant, we found out at the 20 week scan that Ramy had a severe heart defect (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome). It was devastating to hear. As we learnt more about the prognosis and how likely Ramy was to survive any surgery, it became clearer that we had to make the decision for comfort care. We had 12 precious hours with Ramy, who was surrounded by love and cuddles.
I didn’t get much support from my local services, and met Sharon and Suzie online in a support group; instantly feeling part of a “family” where everyone understood me. Feeling so overjoyed about Jonah but at the same time grieving for Ramy was quite overwhelming, so I requested a befriender who had gone through similar circumstances a few years before me. She was kind, compassionate and it was truly comforting to have someone to talk to how understands. The power of peer-to-peer support cannot be underestimated. I’m volunteering as a befriender to hopefully give back the love and support that I felt when I needed it the most. No-one should feel alone.
Wall of Thanks
at footprints WE AIM TO:
- provide support to bereaved parents and families of twins, triplets and higher order multiples through befriending, online support groups, social media, literature and education;
- facilitate networks of peer-to-peer baby loss community support;
- provide education and support, specific to twins, triplets and higher order multiples, to healthcare professionals, employers and carers of bereaved parents and families;
- promote best practice in high quality care during and after pregnancy for twins, triplets and higher order multiples;
- collaborate with other charities to raise awareness and promotion of high-quality bereavement support.