Bears of Hope
A Hugs For Hope online fundraiser funds our early support initiative – our bear giving program.
Each bear of hope will be donated to a family in honour of the baby you are remembering.

For every $50 you raise, a bear of hope will be donated in honour of a baby special to you. The baby’s name and date of birth (if you wish) will be included in each card attached to the bear of hope. Photos of the bears will be emailed through as a keepsake for you.

We donate over 4000 bears of hope and resources each year and rely on the wider community to help us fund this vital service. This early support program guides families through their choices and provides crucial information as they navigate their grief. It helps to reduce the isolation often felt by many families after the loss of their baby and each bear of hope becomes a treasured keepsake in their memory.

 

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Our bears and resources

Through our Bear of Hope and support resources, we aim to comfort, acknowledge, empower, and guide families from within days of their loss and beyond.  Initiating support to families at this time is crucial and the difference between parents leaving the hospital with or without any regrets and with or without any support. These resources provide them with an instant connection to a community ready for them to lean on before and after they leave the hospital without their precious baby.

Why Fundraise?

On the 5th of September 2018 we lost our precious little boy Nate who had trisomy 16. We went to the hospital for a gender scan all excited only to find out our little man no longer had a heartbeat. The hardest thing we ever had to go through. Sitting in that hospital waiting to have surgery to remove the little life we had created was made so much easier when our nurse brought in a bears of hope bag.

In our bag we had a little bear and written on that tag was the name Sophie Cleo Raftery 14/12/2008. To know that a family struggling with the loss we were facing brought us so much comfort at a time we felt so alone and saved us from walking out of that hospital with empty arms. During the most painful part of our grieving we always had our little bear close, sleeping with her each night and taking her with us to every specialist appointment after our loss.

Nate was our eighth pregnancy and after this enormous loss we had given up hope being told we wouldn’t ever get the family we craved so much.

On the 8th of December we again found out we were expecting – and to our disbelief we had a perfect pregnancy and our little miracle rainbow baby flourished with perfect health! August 14 2019 at 2:19pm we welcomed a healthy beautiful baby girl, and decided without hesitation to name her Sophie. We wanted to honour the little life that left too soon and a family who helped us more than they could ever know.

Last month I was on the bears of hope website to purchase a t-shirt and came across the different range of bears. I was looking and couldn’t believe my eyes when I read Sophie bears story and realised I could actually contact the amazing family who helped us through our darkest moments. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the donation you made that we received and we hope you can take comfort in knowing your angel will always be remembered by another family who she touched.

About Our Bears

We have 3 types of bears that are donated to families – Hope, Sophie or Xavier bear. The selected bear of hope donated to a family is significant to the time of their loss whether it was a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal or infant loss. Most of our bears are placed into a support package with support information and other keepsakes, to be sent to hospitals or families directly. Some bears may be donated on their own when requested.

Bears Of Hope will select the type of bear needed at the time to donate your bears.

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