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Tommy's
  1. Susan Quilliam
  1. Writer, Broadcaster, Consultant and Trainer, Cambridge, UK
  1. Correspondence to Ms Susan Quilliam; susan{at}susanquilliam.com http://www.susanquilliam.com

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Who are you?

We are a pregnancy research charity, which means that we fund research into the causes and prevention of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. We also provide specialist support for affected families, and free health advice and support for all parents-to-be.

While most women have a happy and healthy pregnancy, current statistics suggest that one in four women in the UK loses a baby during pregnancy or birth. We believe that this level of heartache is unacceptable, so that is why we do what we do.

HOW DID THE ORGANISATION ORIGINATE?

In 1992, frustrated by the lack of knowledge as to why complications happen in pregnancy, two obstetricians working in the maternity unit at St Thomas's Hospital in London, UK were inspired to start fundraising for more research into such problems. Soon, their cause was taken up by others and a charity affectionately known as ‘Tommy's’ (after St Thomas's Hospital) was launched.

What services do you offer?

We have always provided a pregnancy advice line and in 2011, thanks to the Asda Foundation, this was re-launched as a freephone number offering not only information but also emotional support to parents. Tommy's PregnancyLine is staffed by midwives specially trained to offer bereavement counselling support for parents who have suffered a loss, advice on how best to plan for a baby following a complication, and lifestyle advice for women at risk of pregnancy health problems.

We also offer information to parents through …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

  • Editor's note This article is one in a series of occasional articles on key health organisations worldwide. The Journal would be pleased to hear from other organisations, particularly those based outside the UK, that would like to be similarly profiled.