HOPE boxsets for mother and baby
12 JUNE 2026
York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity is proud to fund HOPE Boxes; a thoughtful initiative designed to support mothers and babies who experience separation at birth.
Separation can happen for different reasons and may be temporary or permanent. Whatever the circumstance, it can be an incredibly emotional and distressing time. The HOPE Boxes have been created to provide comfort, connection, and reassurance, helping to maintain the bond between mother and baby even when they cannot be together physically.
The HOPE (Hold On Pain Eases) Box comes as a pair, carefully designed to mirror one another. One box is given to the mother, and the other to the baby, ensuring both have matching items that symbolise their connection.
What makes these boxes especially meaningful is that their contents have been chosen by mothers with lived experience of separation at birth. Their insights have ensured every item serves a genuine emotional and practical purpose.
Examples are matching cuddly elephant teddies, a blanket for each, with the intention they are later swapped—helping both share each other’s scent, a candle and holder, offering messages of comfort and support and a baby handprint and footprint kit, to capture precious early moments.
These carefully chosen items create opportunities for connection, memory making, and emotional support during an incredibly challenging time.
Hayley Robson James, Safeguarding Lead Midwife, is the driving force behind the implementation of the initiative:
“The boxes are such a precious gift to be able to give to both Mother and Baby. All babies receive one and Mothers are offered and generally accept this offer. When receiving the boxes our Mothers are always so appreciative of them and referred to them as something to treasure in a really sad time of their life. The boxes provide a focal point which builds connection and compassion for our staff too. Thank you so much to York and Scarborough Hospitals Charity for seeing the value in these too and funding this project.”
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