Welcome from me

Reece’s retreats CIO has been a goal of mine for twelve years. I lost my boy Reece to neonatal death in November 2011. The idea came from my own experiences during this time. 

When we suffer such a loss, we walk around with such a hole, but the world still spins, normal life goes on. I remember people asking at school, ‘how’s the baby?’. I remember seeing other people pushing newborns, leaving the hospital without my son….the list goes on.

What I really wanted, what I needed, during this time, was to escape. Not from his memory, or my own children, but from the house he should have been brought back to. Seeing his bedroom set up, well-meaning people popping in to see how I was, and just the everyday reminders, of what could have been.

I wondered if there were any charities offering families a break during circumstances such as ours and was surprised to find there wasn’t. This led me to make the decision that one day there would be. The aim of Reece’s Retreats is to match families to holiday destinations within the UK to meet their needs. That may be a busy city break with lots of distractions or a cottage in the country, enjoying nature and a quieter atmosphere.

There is no one rule fits all with grief and this is why I wanted to offer a more tailored service. If you have experienced a still birth or neonatal death please do ask your GP, health visitor or other professional to put in a referral and we will be in touch as soon as possible. Please note that we are in the process of registering as a charity and gaining funding so there will be a waiting list in place for holidays.

Many thanks

Jo x