We wrote a Book!!!

Thirteen birth mothers who have lost care of their children write a compelling new book: One Drop Holds the Sun. 

Imagine being told your child is being taken into care and you have nowhere to turn. 

Thirteen mums have found the courage to write about their heart-rending moments by creating the story of a young mum just like them. 

One Drop Holds the Sun follows Hope’s devastating loss and her journey to healing. 

“When your baby or child is taken away. You wonder all the time about their safety, welfare and whether they feel the same nagging heartbreak and loneliness of separation,” said Shelly. “We hope it will help others in the same situation.”

One Drop Holds the Sun is published by BEAM, the peer to peer support charity which supports birth mothers without their children. www.beam.support

Author Helen Jacey, from East Sussex, approached BEAM after she read an article about the charity. She offered to run workshops for the mothers. 

Helen said, “At the start, many of the mums felt unsure about writing. But soon their imaginations were flying and they crafted these emotionally gripping stories.” 

The workshops took place online with mothers participating from Suffolk, Essex, Devon, Cambridgeshire, London and Merseyside. 

Tracey said, “I had such a negative experience at school but being creative has really helped me in my journey.”

BEAM’s founder Cherie Parnell, a former family barrister, said: 

“Thirteen of our mums found the courage to write their stories and three others helped illustrate the book. They found it cathartic. Beam is a friendly support service where birth mums can share their feelings, find confidence and take part in artistic projects in which they can express themselves. We are so proud of what they have achieved with this book.”

Following on from recent revisions to birth families’ role in their removed children’s lives by the Lord Chief Justice of the Family Division, the book comes at a time when the birth parent voice is gathering momentum.