Ellie’s Gift, the UK’s first baby loss support app, has launched a dedicated area for parents going through a termination for medical reasons (TFMR).
The new area is free, and gives families videos, audio, guides and support lines from the moment a pregnancy changes – from testing and diagnosis to delivery of a baby who has died and through to the weeks and months that follow.
The Ellie’s Gift app now has separate paths for TFMR and for bereavement, so parents can find support that reflects their own experience.
The TFMR area covers diagnosis and tests, the waiting time, delivery, and afterwards, including support for the body, the mind, community, and returning to work.
It includes content from NHS Midwife Nikki, from founder Lucy Livesey and from parents who have shared their own stories. Ellie’s Gift CIC was founded in 2019 by Rick and Lucy Livesey in loving memory of their Baby Ellie.
The app is endorsed and supported by NHS professionals. Its App Store listing notes endorsement from Professor Alex Heazell (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust), and the app was designed by a specialist mental health nurse with shared experience of baby loss bereavement.
TFMR launch: press release Ellie’s Gift says: “Every year families across the UK face the unimaginable pain of being told they need to prepare for the birth of a baby who has died. When this happens, the right support at the right time can make a world of difference…”
Lucy Livesey, founder of Ellie’s Gift, says: “When we faced the termination of our much loved daughter Ellie’s pregnancy due to her serious heart condition, I had some knowledge and training, but there was still so much I didn’t know about what to expect, from giving birth to navigating those precious moments with our daughter. I remember feeling scared of the unknown. That experience inspired me to create Ellie’s Gift, so that other families facing termination for medical reasons (TFMR) could access the information, guidance and support I wished I’d had. Our new app has been developed through the voices and experiences of 100 people, bringing together lived experience and professional knowledge to help families feel more informed, prepared and supported through one of the most difficult experiences a parent can face.”
Families who have used the app describe its impact.
One App user wrote: “The Ellie’s Gift app supported us through the darkest of days. This app gave us the support, advice, and strength we needed to navigate tests and procedures and help us deliver our baby in a calm and gentle environment.” The Ellie’s Gift app is free on iPhone and Android and on the web at app.ellies.gift.
The Feelings Journal is available in the iPhone and Android apps only. People who would like to support the work can donate at donate.ellies.gift.
