Debbie Jacobs
27 Apr 2026
Recognised within the area of bereavement midwifery and pregnancy loss and shortlisted for the Mariposa 'Community' Award.
As Kentown Support Children's Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialists, Kirsty Blackburn and Clare Grady-Smith provide compassionate, exceptional care to families across East Lancashire who are facing the heartbreak of baby and child loss. Their dedication, kindness, and unwavering support make a profound difference during the most difficult of times.
Kirsty and Clare were nominated for the Mariposa 'Community' Award for the work they have been doing in East Lancashire. They were described by one of their Bereavement Specialist Midwife colleagues as 'changing the face of palliative care for families in a short space of time.'
Kirsty and Clare attending the event at The Landmark Hotel in London on Saturday 25th April.
"I just wanted to take a moment to thank Mariposa and Kentown Support for such a truly magical evening at the awards ceremony" said Kirsty and Clare.
"Although we were not winners in the Community Award category, we feel incredibly honoured and privileged to have been shortlisted. To be recognised alongside such inspiring individuals and organisations—each doing meaningful work to support families experiencing the pain of baby loss—meant a great deal to us.
As paediatric palliative care nurses, it was especially overwhelming for us to be recognised within the area of bereavement midwifery and pregnancy loss. This is an area in which we are working to break new ground within our service, creating pathways and collaborating closely with fetal medicine and bereavement midwives to ensure truly joined-up care.
From the point of recognising a life-limiting diagnosis in utero, we aim to support parallel planning with families, so that—should their precious babies be with them for even a short time—we are able to help facilitate meaningful moments and support them in creating memories with their baby at home.
The evening was a powerful reminder of the compassion, dedication, and strength within this community. It was both humbling and uplifting to be in a room filled with people who care so deeply and work tirelessly to make a difference. The community category received one of the highest number of nominations. We are immensely proud to have been included, and we are grateful to Mariposa for creating such a special and meaningful event."
