FSID supporter and cot death mother, Lynne Nesbit, writes of her decision to help the babies of tomorrow by leaving a gift to FSID in her Will.

I have reached that special time of life – the Freedom Pass-time. I travel here, there and everywhere, and I only work three days a week instead of nine! One Freedom pastime I love is to reflect. Today, I was reflecting on little Dominic. He would be thirty-five now, if he had stayed with us in this life. Golden hair and long lashes. In fact, I think of him several times a week as his significant dates form part of my PIN number. He blesses my every transaction!

I have been supporting FSID since a year after his death. Almost 34 years. I wonder how many of you reading this have also had the good fortune to be associated so long with this amazing charity. How many mothers then are grandmothers now? How many of you are grandfathers?

It is a good time to reflect. So much has been achieved by FSID since the early seventies. I heard about it from the coroner. He must have been an enlightened man, as he came round especially on Boxing Day (Dominic died on Christmas Day) to speak to us and to give us a leaflet published by FSID. He said it might help us explain to others. And it was such a great help. We hardly wanted to speak at all and here was a piece of paper saying that what happened to us also happened to others. About a year later, I felt ready to offer my help as a befriender.

Since that time, we have seen the number of cot deaths drop significantly due to FSID’s work. In fact, it has been so successful that you could say that it might soon be out of business! If only... The next generation follows on. And not just the next generation of parents, but that of health visitors, midwives, doctors, coroners and paediatricians. The work of enlightening them, too, has to go on. The research can never stop. We must always look to the future as well as reflecting on the past.

My Freedom Pass perspective is now broader than in my younger days. I acknowledge my own responsibility for the future. In fact, I am continually creating it by the decisions I make in the present. I realised that one way to benefit that future was to write charities into my Will. FSID is one of those charities.

I have worked for a charity myself for the past 25 years and know how much value legacies bring. For that charity, it meant half their income. For FSID, they could make an enormous difference. Laboratory work has to be funded. Educators must travel the country, mounting seminars and one-to-one training. Compassionate support workers must be trained for the wonderful job they do with bereaved parents and families. And all the literature……..

So, if you are in a reflective mode and thinking of writing a Will – and everyone should, whatever their time of life, if they care where their belongings end up; or if you are about to review your Will – and everyone should when there is a significant change in their life, or every five years – I invite you join me by including FSID. Your solicitor will advise you and you can ask FSID for more information.

I will write more on this subject in the near future and address some of the practical issues you need to bear in mind via FSID’s website and e-news. For now, thank you for reading and reflecting.

Enjoy the present – and remember that your actions create your future!

To learn more about leaving a gift to FSID in your Will, please telephone the Fundraising Department on 020 7222 8003 or e-mail legacies@fsid.org.uk.