The Charity

‘Because Every Baby Matters’

When Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates suffered the loss of 5 babies, they knew that they needed to help others who went through the same trauma and grief associated with baby loss, and so launched the organisation ‘Saying Goodbye’ in August 2012.

1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage with an estimated 250,000 babies lost each year in the UK. In addition, the UK sees around 7,000 babies lost through stillbirth, neonatal loss and in infancy, so the scale of the problem was easy to see. Internationally, the US sees 1,000,000 lost through miscarriage & an estimated 30,000,000 babies are lost globally through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss and in infancy each year.

In March 2013, the Mariposa Trust was formed as a charity and ‘Saying Goodbye’ became its primary division. Since the Trusts launch, it has expanded exponentially, and the charity has systematically developed new divisions and services to provide support that reaches over 50,000 people each week. This has in turn led to expansion into North America & globally.

From 2018 to 2023, Zoe Clark-Coates co-chaired and authored the government’s ‘Pregnancy Loss Review’, recommending 73 ground-breaking changes that needed to be made to clinical and support practices nationally. These were all accepted by the UK government and are being implemented.

In late 2024, the charity rebranded to ‘Mariposa International’ to align with its global name. It also launched the Global Baby Loss Alliance, bringing together NGOs, Charities, Experts, and Governments to improve clinical care and support for the bereaved. The charities 6 divisions are:

• Saying Goodbye – Support for anyone who has suffered baby loss
• GrowingYou – Pregnancy support for people who have suffered baby loss
• Waiting For You – Support for people who have chosen to go through the adoption process
• Holding Hope – Support for people going through fertility treatment
• Love in Every Tear – Supporting those, who are supporting others through loss
• So Cherished – Support for those who’s babies have received a genetic or terminal diagnosis

The charity’s work is focused on care and support, and all fundraising activities, from skydives and races to summer garden parties and the Mariposa Balls, are to facilitate that happening in a targeted and beneficial way.