Children supported by hospice remembered in songs

Ten children who were cared for in a hospice have been honoured with a collection of specially commissioned songs.

The bereaved families of the children worked closely with musicians on The Keepsake Circle project at Helen and Douglas House in Oxford.

Michaela Middleton's 14-year-old son Finley, who died in 2023, is one of those being celebrated with a song.

"To be able to remember our son, Finley, in a musical way is astonishing," Michaela said.

The mother from Bicester said: "When Finley passed away our whole world fell apart. Our journey so far has been a big learning curve. Lots of firsts, lots of loneliness and mental numbness, not believing it's true."

Finley had a life-shortening condition and a genetic fault which meant he did not grow very tall.

Remembering her son, Michaela said "He was a very large character in a very small body."

She said he was "fun" and "cheeky" and never lost his smile despite all his medical needs.

Finley was a regular visitor to Helen and Douglas House for respite visits and Michaela called it a "lifeline" for the family.

The hospice still supports Michaela, her husband and their daughter Lucie as they live with the loss of their loved one.

Sally Hayes, Director of Nursing and Care for Helen and Douglas House said often parents tell them that people are "too frightened" to mention their child's name.

"But actually what they really want to do is tell them about them," she said.

Hayes said the families taking part in The Keepsake Circle project shared stories about their children and what made them unique.

The deeply personal songs for the families have been written and produced by singer Kiki Deville and songwriter Angus Powell, with instrumentalist and producer Gregor Gergő Petri also joining the team.

When asked what Finley would have made of the song written for him, Michaela said: "It's really catchy and it's fast paced and it just represents him really well, I think he would love it."

The album was released at the start of April at a special live event for the families and is available to download from the major music streaming platforms, with any money raised donated to Helen and Douglas House.

Deville, who is a bereaved parent herself, said: "It is an honour and a privilege to get to know these children through the memories of their wonderful families."

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