'HEARTBEAT bears' are the latest initiative a vital charity are fundraising for to support families across the North-East who have had sick or premature babies.

Leo's was founded by Lottie King who could only hold her baby Leo as he died in her arms just a few hours after being born at 24 weeks.

The Yarm mother, who is a full-time carer for Leo's surviving twin, Oska, was determined to help other parents enduring the unimaginable trauma of losing a baby.

She set up Leo's and now works with neonatal units at the Darlington Memorial Hospital, North Durham Hospital, The James Cook University Hospital and maternity services at The University Hospital of North Tees.

Leo's now has extra support from private scan clinic franchise, Window To The Womb, to help fundraise for heartbeat bears which are primarily used to record a baby’s heartbeat in utero by the sonographers.

The bears have a special recording device which captures baby’s heartbeat before it is placed into a dedicated teddy bear. Leo’s aims to have these bears for families on three of the neonatal units it supports to help reduce separation anxiety between parents and their child.

The charity hopes the bears will also help improve breast milk expressing and can be a permanent keepsake for the families whose baby will heartbreakingly not survive.

Ms King said: "These bears, we hope, will reduce the impact on our families’ mental health.

"By being able to give them something to hold and take with them when they can’t be at the unit which contains their baby’s heartbeat will bring comfort. Being apart from your baby is incredibly distressing, and many of our team know that first-hand.

“We also want these bears to be given to the families, like mine, won’t ever be able to take their baby home."

Iona Harries, registered midwife and owner of the Window To The Womb, which has three clinics based in Darlington, Durham and Middlesbrough, said: “As midwife I have seen first-hand how devastating this time can be for mummies and families.

“At Window To The Womb, the well-being of mother and baby are paramount, we saw this opportunity as a perfect partnership with our core values. The work Lottie and her team have already started is outstanding and we had to be a part of it."

For more information on Leo's, visit

leosneonatal.org