Coventry woman who supports mothers after stillbirth recognized by Prime Minister

A COVENTRY woman who has supported more than 8,000 stillbirth parents through her charity has been recognized with a Point of Light award from the Prime Minister.

The Luca Foundation funds special refrigerated cots that are designed to act as a refrigerator to keep the body cool.

Allowing bereaved parents to have extra time with their babies.

The foundation works with the NHS to distribute and repair ‘CuddleCots’ as well as raise funds for research and training to reduce infant mortality.

Sharon Luca-Chatha lost her, so Luca died at 36 weeks in 2012, since then he has given the “gift of time” to thousands of grieving families.

She said: “We are deeply grateful and humbled to receive this recognition for our charity, which was established in loving memory of our son.

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“As the name ‘Luca’, which means ‘Bringer of Light’ suggests, receiving this award as we approach our 12th celestial anniversary feels quite uplifting given the challenges of running a non-profit charitable organization without salary.”

Sharon is one of the latest to be recognized by the Prime Minister for The Points of Light Award, which honors outstanding volunteers who make a difference in their community.

The Right Honorable Sir Jeremy Wright, Sharon’s local MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said: “I first came across the work of the ‘Luca Foundation’ last year while promoting Small Charity Week and I am delighted that it is being recognized in this way.

“I hope this award can raise the profile of the ‘Luca Foundation’ and help them reach more struggling families.”

Sharon is a CPD accredited pregnancy and infant loss practitioner and brings her training in talking about loss with children to primary schools.

She has also written two books on the subject, Angel Warriors and a children’s picture book Why Did Grandad Die? which is available in schools across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Sharon added: “The growth of the Luca Foundation has completely exceeded my expectations. I’m very proud of that and the fact that despite receiving more than 10 repair requests every month, we’ve been able to fulfill them all so far.”