Luna’s Light: Supporting Families Through Loss in Wales
13 November 2025
Families affected by the sudden loss of a baby face an unimaginable situation — one that requires compassion, understanding, and practical support from the services around them. On Thursday 13 November 2025, partners, policymakers, clinicians, researchers and families came together at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay, for the launch of Luna’s Light / Skye & Luna — a new children’s book written to help parents and siblings navigate grief following Sudden Infant Death.
The event is part of a wider effort across Wales to strengthen how health and care services respond to bereavement, ensuring families receive not only clinical care, but emotional and practical support during the most difficult of moments. The project behind Luna’s Light has been adopted as a civic-mission initiative within the Centre for Trials Research (CTR), reflecting CTR’s long-standing commitment to maternal and child health, family wellbeing, and public-facing research that makes a difference in people’s lives.
A story born from lived experience and community effort
Luna’s Light was written by Philippa Atkins, drawing on her own experience of losing her daughter, Luna. Philippa collaborated with a small team of parents, counsellors, designers and supporters to create a resource that could speak directly to children and families facing the same devastating loss.
The project received a grant from Bayer, enabling the first print run. Local charities — including SANDS, Tommy’s and 2 Wish — have helped guide, share and support the book so it can reach families through neonatal and maternity units, bereavement teams and community networks.
CTR’s involvement has focused on helping ensure the project has the structure, governance and visibility it needs to reach families, health boards and policymakers across Wales.
A reflective event at the Pierhead Building
The launch event was sponsored by Jenny Rathbone MS, who provided a reflection on the importance of supporting families through loss and the role of community-driven initiatives in shaping compassionate care.
The programme included:
- Readings from Luna’s Light / Skye & Luna
- A talk from a qualified bereavement counsellor
- Reflections from the fundraising team supporting the project
- A 30-strong choir performance to close the event
The afternoon created a safe, dignified space for connection — honouring the children remembered, the families present, and the collective commitment to improving support across Wales.
Why CTR is supporting this work
CTR Director Professor Mike Robling has been supporting the development of Luna’s Light in both his professional and personal capacity. The project aligns closely with CTR’s maternal and child health research, our wider civic mission, and our long-standing partnership with organisations working to improve evidence-based support for families.
As a Centre, we are immensely proud to have worked with Philippa and her team in their mission to support families and children who experience baby loss. Opening up the conversation with ‘Skye & Luna’, enabling families, friends and colleagues to share and explore their experiences meets a need that is sadly too often left unaddressed. I have no doubt that the lives of parents, siblings and those close to them will only benefit from the work of Philippa and her team. My belief comes in part because I am also Philippa’s stepfather and Luna’s grandpa. I am both humbled and inspired by Philippa’s courage, creativity and resolve to take the trauma of her own loss to help others. This is a story that must be shared and a conversation that must be had, so that more light may shine for families amidst the darkness of their own stories.
Helping the book reach families across Wales
The team behind Luna’s Light are encouraging health boards and services to help the book reach families who may benefit. Copies can be purchased or donated for distribution to neonatal units, community midwifery teams and bereavement services.
Support & Donate
- Purchase or donate copies of the book
- Learn more about the charities supporting families after baby loss:
If the themes in this article affect you, support is available through these organisations.
The Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University is funded by Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales.