To our darling little girl,
Remembering you dearly on your fourth birthday, this one spent in London as we couldnt make it to Chamonix due to Covid-19 a pandemic that has spread across the world affecting everyone in some way. Its a lung disease which reminds us of your heroic fight. In some ways, we are grateful you didnt have to experience this.
There have also been some highlights this year. Your youngest baby brother Arran Jack Carmichael Calder arrived, safe and well on April 3rd despite the surrounding Covid chaos. He was born a mere 10m away from you and your bigger brother Freddy, at St Georges in Tooting, your collective spiritual homes.
However, South London wont be our home for much longer as we bought a house in Derbyshire this year, another highlight. North Lodge will be where Freddy, Arran and Bow grow up together and we are excited to take you with us in spirit and find news ways to honour you in our forever home!
We spent your birthday at the London Aquarium, remembering you as Flipper, in the absence of mountains due to Covid restrictions. Freddy loved the various fishes and in particular the sharks. We made a birthday cake for you and sung happy birthday, something Freddy loves to do - he is increasingly aware of you from the stories we share with him and spent the day saying 'happy birthday Angel Chloe'. We couldn't be more proud of him and we know you would be too - your memory will be carried forward by both your brothers.
Your legacy continues to grow more widely. Its been a quiet year for fundraising, partly due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, Bliss has made huge strides this year to ensure Sick and Premature Babies will be supported well into the future. This year they had an amazing interim CEO (Justin), who guided them to mid term financial stability with help from the trustees (including Daddy). They also received an amazing £1m donation from a legacy family in Malaysia which will help them make strategic investments to help grow the charity in the coming years. They supported many families through Covid, including some whose parents weren't allowed to be with their children at tough times. They also lobbied MPs to change the law to ensure parents will receive paternity pay and leave for the duration of premature support, an amazing step forward for many families. In a small way, you have helped contribute to this change that will affect thousands of others. Daddy was also proud to award St Georges with their Bronze Baby Charter certification and we saw many of the doctors and nurses who supported you, as well as the incubator bought in your honour.
Your legacy lives on strongly and you remain very much in our hearts and our thoughts. Next year will be your 5th birthday and we will find a way to honour you fittingly. Meantime, we miss you and we love you. Very much.
Happy birthday little girl.
Lots of love, Daddy (John), Mummy (Lorna), Freddy, Arran and Bow. xxxxx