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An islander who lost her baby eight weeks into pregnancy has completed a charity headshave, raising almost £2,000 to "support other people" going through the same thing.
After Siobhan Bentley lost her baby Pip eight weeks into her pregnancy, two charities – Jersey-based charity Philip's Footprints and the UK-based Miscarriage Association – provided a listening ear.
Siobhan explained: "I first contacted Philip's Footprints not long after I experienced my miscarriage.
"I find talking quite therapeutic. Being open about my feelings has been really important.
"I initially reached out not long after it happened. I got pretty much an immediate response from Jo [Nash], the founder of Philip's Footprints.
"I just felt like I was able to talk about things."
Siobhan said that, in charity support groups, she was able to talk about what she was going through and be herself.
"Knowing that someone else is going through that... you're able to almost normalise the subject," she said.
"They just listened to me. They knew that my feelings, my emotions were valid."
Pictured: Siobhan's headshave was the 'grand finale' of a pub quiz for Baby Loss Awareness Week.
To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week last week, Siobhan committed herself to a head shave as the 'grand finale' of a charity pub quiz.
She surpassed her initial £1,000 fundraising goal, having raised £1,440 on JustGiving and another £380 in cash.
The donations will be split, with half going to Philip's Footprints and half to the Miscarriage Association.
Local charity Philip's Footprints will use the donations at the Jersey General Hospital to provide information and memory boxes for families who have lost babies.
"I'm just blown away by it," Siobhan said.
She added that the pub quiz "was a nice way to do it" as it "initially took my mind off the inevitable".
"I feel a bit cold, obviously," Siobhan laughed, adding that she had plenty of beanies to get her through the winter.
"[Hair] grows back, at the end of the day," she said.
You can still support Siobhan's fundraising page on JustGiving.
Pictured top: Siobhan before... and after the head shave.
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