Every year, Kym Marsh, a well-known actress, takes time to honor the birthday of her son Archie, who sadly passed away at 21 weeks due to premature birth in 2009. Reflecting on that difficult time, she recounted the moments she held her son and arranged a funeral for him. These days, her family ensures his memory lives on during Christmas, with her 13-year-old daughter, who was born after Archie’s death, well aware of her brother’s story.

Interestingly, Marsh shared that until recently, she had no official government documentation acknowledging her loss. However, she’s now able to apply for a certificate through a newly expanded program in England designed for parents grieving the loss of a baby during pregnancy.

“The reality in the UK is that around 250,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage before 24 weeks, affecting one in five women,” Marsh explained. She emphasized the emotional weight of these certificates, stating, “They mean so much. It makes your baby not just a statistic. He mattered to all of us, and not having something that recognized his existence was absolutely heartbreaking because he was a little person, our little person.” She expressed her thankfulness, saying, “We’re so delighted. This is a huge win for all of us.”

The government rolled out this certificate program in February for parents who have experienced baby loss since September 2018. It has now expanded to allow additional parents to obtain remembrance certificates for pregnancies ending before 24 weeks, as well as for those that concluded before 28 weeks prior to October 1, 1992.

Many women and advocates have communicated to the BBC how significant these certificates are for the millions impacted by this often hidden grief. Charley Day, who received one of the more than 50,000 certificates issued since February after losing her son Rory at 11 weeks in July, shared her thoughts on the recognition, stating, “For us, it’s been incredible—our baby’s life has recognition.”

Others, including Baroness Floella Benjamin, expressed their plans to apply for the certificates after years of yearning for acknowledgment of their losses. Benjamin, who lost three babies, reflected on her enduring grief, saying, “I think about them all the time during that certain time of year. The grief never leaves you.” She pointed out that these certificates are meaningful not only for women but also for men, recounting how she and her husband would share their grief during those tough moments.

Zoe Clark-Coates, who has endured the loss of five babies, intends to apply for the certificates after nearly ten years of advocating for recognition on behalf of others. As the founder of the Saying Goodbye charity, she noted that many parents seek acknowledgment for their lost children because it provides a tangible connection for family records and future generations. “So many people who go through baby loss receive no recognition, no acknowledgment that their baby existed,” she stated.

Marsh, who continues to grieve her son Archie, highlighted the importance of having official documentation in the grieving process, saying it validates their loss and helps with acknowledgment and acceptance. “Because he was our child, and he matters just as much as the ones who are fortunate enough to be here,” she shared. “A loss is a loss, and they were our children.”