Slough charity founder shares baby loss journey as guest on ITV1 show

A charity founder from Slough has been recognised for her work and will share her experience of baby loss on an ITV1 wellbeing show this weekend.

Madhuri Bedi, founder of the Vishaal Foundation, will appear on Katie Piper’s Weekend Escape this Sunday to fill the regular guest slot titled ‘Katie’s Haircut Hero’.

The segment places a spotlight on those who have overcome adversity or done something extraordinary for an individual or community.

Her ‘special’ experience included a countryside pamper retreat, courtesy of celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas and make-up artist Gemma Wheatcroft.

“People who have organisations like me – we always see what we haven’t done, what we could do better, what we could do more of – we don’t look at what we’ve been able to achieve,” Madhuri told the Express.

“To have someone contact you to say we recognise your work, that’s a big thing.”

Madhuri spoke to Katie about her various charity and community initiatives, including the Vishaal Foundation, named after her one-day-old baby boy who died in 2003.

In 2006, she and her husband Sunil welcomed their son Nihal, but two years later, the pair lost their daughter Rehna, who stopped growing at 18 weeks.

Nihal returned from university to join his mum on the show and enjoyed a party with Katie Piper, Michael Douglas, TV guests and friends.

The 19-year-old said he hoped the TV appearance would raise more awareness of the cause.

He added: “I’m happy mum got the chance to go because she does so much for the community and she helps so many people. I’m happy it’s not going unnoticed because the more people she can help, the happier she is to do it, so I’m glad the word is out there.

“I’m really proud of her – she really deserves it.”

“It was special that he values the work more than anything,” said Madhuri about having her ‘living’ child speak about his late brother and her work.

Madhuri works as an outreach coordinator for the South Asian Community at SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society), which supports families affected by baby loss.

“We’re there to support everyone, but I want to ensure that any person knows they have a safe and confidential space to turn to and they don’t need to grieve or mourn alone,” she said.

Speaking about her baby loss journey on the show, Madhuri shared the importance for people from the South Asian community to ‘have a place to turn to’ as there is ‘stigma and taboo’ and people are ‘not so vocal’ about their experiences.

“The South Asian community is such a feel-good community – we love celebrating – but when it comes to this, it is under the carpet; it’s God’s will,” she added. “That’s hard for a parent who needs an outlet or somebody to speak to about their baby.”

As such, Madhuri thought to ‘fly the flag for South Asians’ and wore a sari on the show to accompany her new makeover.

She hopes her TV appearance will encourage more people to learn about the annual global Wave of Light service, which takes place in Herschel Park on October 15.

Organisers welcome anybody who has been touched by the loss of a child to the event that falls at the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week and light a candle in remembrance.

“I want more people to know they can come to honour and remember their baby – it’s free – I want more people from Slough to know we do this,” she said.

For more information, visit www.sands.org.uk/support-you/remembering-your-baby/wave-light