THE lights will change colour at one of the town's major roundabouts next week as a show of support for those who have suffered the heartbreak of losing a baby.

Greenbridge roundabout's lights will turn pink and blue from October 14-19 after Tonia Meader urged the borough council to get involved in Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Tonia has suffered the pain of miscarriage three times and is backing a national campaign that sees bereaved parents, their families and friends, unite to commemorate the lives of babies who died during pregnancy, at or soon after birth and in infancy.

The 38-year-old from North Swindon said: “I just wanted to get Swindon involved because I don’t think that the town has done anything before.

“It means quite a lot to know that I have managed to achieve something like this for it. Just because you have miscarried doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence.”

Baby Loss Awareness Week, which starts on Wednesday, is a collaboration between charities and organisations working together for change and tangible improvements in policy, research, bereavement care.

Tonia added: “I have lost three babies and so have some of my friends and we wanted to help raise awareness of it.

“My last miscarriage would have been six this year, they don’t go past 12 weeks and that’s happened three times.

“It was pretty traumatic, you look around to see friends and that have babies and at the beginning you think ‘why me?’ But I have come to terms with it now, I have nieces and nephews that I get to see grow up.”

The campaign is led by Sands – a stillbirth and neonatal death charity – and involves 70 other charities across the UK.

Jen Coates, the director of volunteering and bereavement support at Sands, said: “One of the main issues is the silence around it. When a baby dies the feelings of loneliness and isolation can be overwhelming and having other bereaved parents to talk to is vital.

"Baby Loss Awareness Week is a collection of around 80 charities on baby loss, which shows you how important it is.”

The council cabinet member for transport and environment Maureen Penny said: “It’s a pleasure to be able to help charities and good causes raise awareness in this way."