A MEMORIAL garden for grieving parents to remember their stillborn babies is to be opened next week.

Sarah Bernasconi, 35, and partner Mark Parsons, 37, lost their baby girl Maggie at Burnley General Hospital in June last year.

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After battling through several difficult months, the couple, from Blackburn threw themselves into fundraising and ways to help other parents going through similar experiences.

As a result of lots of careful planning, the couple will open a ‘Secret Garden in the Butterfly Wood’ in Pleasington Crematorium.

The garden, near Tower Road, will act as a centralised place for parents to remember their children, and somewhere to put a physical memory, a ‘butterfly’, made by Ms Bernasconi.

The butterfly cards will be available for parents to write a message for their child and will be placed around the tree.

Ms Bernasconi said: “I spoke to dozens of mums and dads who didn’t know where their babies ashes had been scattered after their children had been taken away from them.

“It’s such a difficult, horrible situation. It’s bad enough that you’ve lost your child and to have nowhere to go to remember them is even worse.

“After lots of work we found the perfect place in Pleasington Crematorium and we created the ‘Secret Garden in the Butterfly Wood’.”

The couple have also raised thousands of pounds to donate three cold cots to Royal Blackburn Hospital, Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

A cold cot is designed to keep a baby’s body cool after death, allowing parents and family to have longer to say a proper goodbye.

To celebrate the opening of the garden, parents who have lost children are been encouraged to take part in a balloon release and put the first butterfly memory cards in place.

Ms Bernasconi said: “I have lots of the butterfly cards made already and they will be placed on Tuesday.

“I want parents to attend as it gives them a chance to talk to other mums and dads and share their experiences.

“I have worked with some wonderful people and it’s amazing that the goal has become a reality.”

The opening will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, August 9, at the crematorium.

For more information about visit The Secret Garden in Butterfly Woods group on Facebook.