Bereaved Parents Dedicate Butterfly to Remember Son

Bereaved parents Ellie and Oli Marco-Kruc from Milton Keynes are asking people to dedicate a butterfly to remember someone they have loved and lost to go in the Garden of Memories in Waddesdon Manor.

Ellie and Oli will be dedicating a handcrafted butterfly to remember their son Roman who died aged 10 months in 2020. This will be planted in the Garden of Memories at Waddesdon Manor which you can visit between Saturday 7 and Sunday 22 October 2023. The installation date coincides with Baby Loss Awareness Week, which is such a special time for many of the families Helen & Douglas House supports like Roman’s.

Twin Roman, at only a few days old, was given weeks to live. In March 2019 he came to Helen & Douglas House after being diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition. Roman needed the hospice’s emergency medical care, and his exhausted family, after spending weeks by his side in hospital, needed emotional and practical support.

Parents Ellie and Oli came to stay at the children’s hospice with his twin brother Harley, Grandma Wendy and Nanna Fran and were later supported at home by Helen & Douglas House.

Sadly, in January 2020, just a few weeks after his first and last Christmas, Roman died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. After Roman died they received a vital lifeline of support from the Helen & Douglas House bereavement support team. Roman stayed in their special air-conditioned room, without monitors or tubes, so they could take the time they needed to privately say their goodbyes to their precious baby boy.

Ellie said: ‘Coming to Helen & Douglas House was like having a weight taken off our shoulders. It was where we could be with our boys, share a bed and take Roman outside for the first time. The hospice cared for us 24/7 – we wouldn’t be where we are now without them.

‘The butterfly is such a beautiful symbol of remembrance, and having an installation made up of lots of them will be incredibly moving.  Waddesdon Manor is such a special place. We used to go there regularly when Roman was still with us. It’s a stunning venue and the perfect place to celebrate the lives of our loved ones. To remember the memories, we made together. I can’t think of a better place to see the butterfly we’ve dedicated to him.’

These beautiful, handcrafted metal butterflies which are 15cms by 15cms on a metre-tall stake, are the perfect way to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one whether you are remembering a child or an adult. They are available to Helen & Douglas House families and anyone else who wants to remember a loved one.

There is a suggested donation of £40 for a butterfly. Your donation will help Helen & Douglas House be there for local families. £40 could help cover the cost of an hour of bereavement counselling for a family like Roman’s at Helen & Douglas House.

All butterflies ordered before Friday 1 September will be part of the stunning Helen & Douglas House Garden of Memories installation at Waddesdon Manor this October and will then afterwards become a keepsake you can take home and treasure forever to remember your loved one. Your loved one’s name can be included on a memorial at the installation as well. You can also add a message and photograph of your loved one to an online dedication page.

You can dedicate a butterfly to someone you have loved and lost today by visiting www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/garden-of-memories.