Shirl Rowley, of Wanaka, made a plea to the Queenstown Lakes District Council in June for funding to help build a baby memorial wall after she came across the baby memorial garden at Andersons Bay Cemetery in Dunedin.
Mrs Rowley and her husband Jerry's twin sons Matthew and James died prematurely at 24 weeks' gestation nearly 16 years ago, and their boys' names are now remembered alongside many other infants at the Dunedin memorial.
The couple have a daughter, Biddi (19), and son, Sam (16).
Yesterday, Mrs Rowley was rapt about the news funding for a memorial at Wanaka cemetery has been confirmed by the QLDC.
Community groups will also contribute to the project.
The cost of the project has been estimated at $10,000, of which the council will fund $5000 with the Wanaka Alpha Club and Rotary raising $4000 and $1000 respectively.
Mrs Rowley had received numerous messages of support from many parents who had experienced the loss of an infant child.
"It's a pain that never, never goes away, but it does lessen," she said.
The Rowleys were part of a commemorative ceremony held at Dunedin's baby memorial garden on Sunday, which was attended by parents from around the district who had children die prematurely.
Tomorrow is International Baby Loss Awareness Day, and , candles will be lit by parents around the globe at 7pm to mark the occasion and to remember infants.
Georgina Pinckney, a landscape architect, and sculptor Liz Hall were working on design briefs for the Wanaka baby memorial wall, Mrs Rowley said.
It was envisaged the wall would incorporate a low stoneworked wall around an entranceway with blossom trees.
A sculpture from Mrs Hall would be included as a centrepiece, with plaques bearing infants' names as part of the wall.
The site for the memorial was on the brow of a hill at Wanaka cemetery looking north towards the lake and mountains.
"So many parents have experienced or been touched by the early loss of a child.
"A memorial gives us somewhere to respect that.
"Hopefully, it will be a place where people can sit, reflect, and feel comforted," Mrs Rowley said.
