{"id":944241,"date":"2026-05-07T17:22:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/944241\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:22:25","slug":"wirral-mum-shares-how-claire-house-helped-her-family-create-precious-memories-with-baby-daughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/944241\/","title":{"rendered":"Wirral mum shares how Claire House helped her family create precious memories with baby daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Wirral mum has shared how Claire House Children\u2019s Hospice helped her family make precious memories with her baby daughter.<\/p>\n

Jess Maddock said the Merseyside hospice was there \u201cwithin the hour\u201d, supporting them through their darkest days and continuing to help the family years later.<\/p>\n

Here, during Dying Matters Awareness Week 2026, she shares her story.<\/p>\n

\"Claire
\nMum Jess explained:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcomed our beautiful twins, Rose and Cora in 2019. The girls were being supported by Arrowe Park, when very suddenly Cora became very unwell\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was transferred to Alder Hey, where we were told things weren\u2019t looking good. Heartbreakingly we had to let her go.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe then had to return to Arrowe Park, where Rose was still being cared for. One of the nurses gently asked, \u2018Have you been told Claire House Children\u2019s Hospice can support you?\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing from the Wirral, everyone knows Claire House. We certainly did \u2013 but we saw it as a hospice, not somewhere that could support families after a child dies. We\u2019d never lost a baby before, and we had no idea what to do next.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Claire House, which has a full hospice in Bebington, and a Liverpool site in West Derby, supports seriously and terminally ill babies, children and young adults.<\/p>\n

By providing specialist nursing and end-of-life care, as well as emotional support, Claire House helps families through some of the toughest times of their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Says Jess:<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin the hour, Claire House was with us at the hospital. They lovingly collected Cora from Alder Hey so she could be with us. We didn\u2019t have to make an appointment to see her, and it was amazing to have that time together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the days that followed, Cora rested in the Butterfly Suite at Claire House, which is the most amazing place. The room was decorated for her, with everything girly and princess-like and lullabies playing in the background.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband Ashley and I were supported to make memories: her first lock of hair, her handprints\u2026all the precious things parents usually do in their own time at home after having a newborn. We could never have imagined not having the time to do those things, but Claire House made sure we did.<\/p>\n

\"Claire
\n\"Claire<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got to put her in a pram and take her for a walk around the grounds. It\u2019s only years later you realise we never would have done that otherwise. When your head is all over the place, they gently make sure you don\u2019t miss those moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Ashley, 45, Claire House was a sanctuary, a place to sit with Cora, with a cup of coffee and some toast, while Jess visited Rose in Arrowe Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could move between the hospital and the Butterfly Suite, spending time with both our girls\u201d, shares Jess, 45, from Wallasey. \u201cUsing a cold cot meant Cora could also be at home \u2013 somewhere she\u2019d only ever been inside my tummy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was that support, and us caring for Rose, that was our light in those darkest days. Without Claire House, we wouldn\u2019t have the memories we now treasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRose is now six and embodies everything Cora left behind \u2013 she\u2019s so funny and certainly keeps us on our toes!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCora was tiny, just 1lb 9oz and half the size of her sister. But she was feisty! We called her \u2018little legs\u2019 because her legs were always on the go. I often wonder how different she\u2019d have been to Rose, or if they\u2019d have been two peas in a pod.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Claire<\/p>\n

After Cora was diagnosed with NEC, a serious bowel condition that affects premature babies, the family had to say goodbye in January 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d be in a very different place without Claire House,\u201d says Jess.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cStill to this day, we\u2019re supported. We get involved in social events for bereaved parents, from a bottomless brunch and karaoke session to their version of The Traitors, there\u2019s always something going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cClaire House has been there with whatever we\u2019ve needed \u2013 from counselling to complimentary therapies, which has made a massive difference. For me, [I love the sound baths a relaxation session using calming sound and vibration] and Ashley plays football with the dads.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur eldest daughter Daisy, now 18, was 12 at the time, and just weeks after losing Cora, we were plunged into lockdown with none of the usual family support around us. Claire House moved everything online so we could still get help, and we benefitted so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will forever be indebted to every person who supports this charity. It was a very dark time, but we only have fond memories of everything that was done for us and how they still support us today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out more about Claire House here<\/a>.
\nFind the latest Liverpool news here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Find out what\u2019s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide.\u00a0
\nFrom the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North \u2013 visit\u00a0thenorthernguide.com<\/a>\u00a0and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram\u00a0HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n