Nottingham baby loss charity Forever Stars has launched details of its 2025 fundraising campaign that aims to raise £60,000 to finance life-changing play therapy sessions for children dealing with the loss of a baby sibling.
The new ‘Talking Through Tears’ campaign is focussed on supporting brothers and sisters with life-changing healing specialist play therapy sessions, that are tailored for individual children to help them understand and manage their emotions following the family’s loss of a baby either by stillbirth or miscarriage.
The campaign is inspired by the personal experiences of Forever Stars’ co-founders Richard and Michelle Daniels and the impact the loss of their daughter Emily had on her brother Finlay, who was aged four when his sister was stillborn in December 2013.
Play serves as a universal language for children, allowing them to express feelings that might be too complex or painful to put into words. Studies* show that when children engage in play, they recreate scenarios and emotions related to their trauma, enabling them to explore and make sense of their experiences in a safe environment. This process can lead to emotional relief and greater self-awareness.
Richard saId: “For many siblings, just like for Finlay, losing a sibling in this awful way might be their first encounter with death, which makes it so difficult for them to process their emotions.
“Children often lack the language skills to articulate their feelings, leading to confusion, frustration and anger, while seeing their parents in distress can add to the child’s anxiety and sadness, compounding their sense of loss. Without timely intervention, unresolved grief can impact a child’s education, social development, and overall well-being.
“Thankfully we discovered play therapy for Finlay, and our experience of it proved it to be invaluable in supporting him in a safe environment. Through imaginative play, children learn to navigate their emotions, leading to healthier coping strategies in real-life situations. For Finlay, play therapy genuinely helped him to understand his feelings and emotions, process the loss of his baby sister and the effect this was having on his Mummy and Daddy.”
This year’s Talking Through Tears fundraising campaign will help around 75 children manage their emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and regain a sense of stability.
Find out more about the ‘Talking Through Tears’ campaign visit: www.foreverstars.org/talking-through-the-tears. For anyone wishing to make a donation or fundraise this year, visit the campaign’s JustGiving page at: www.justgiving.com/forever-stars, or email Forever Stars: [email protected].