Lynsey Bell and her husband Mark spent 15 days bonding with their baby boy who died before he was born.
Lynsey, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, had suffered pre-eclampisa while pregnant with her three older children, so this pregnancy was monitored closely.
However, weeks before she reached full-term, doctors told the couple they had lost the baby. And just minutes after receiving the devastating news, Lynsey hemorrhaged and was rushed to surgery.
The couple’s little boy, Rory, was delivered stillborn by cesarean section five weeks early. Doctors were forced to perform a hysterectomy on Lynsey.
When she woke up from a coma two days later, Lynsey saw her son for the first time, although she admits she was fearful.
“Mark asked if I wanted to see Rory. I didn’t want to, but I was his mummy, and I knew I had no choice,” she told The Mirror.
“I’d never seen a dead baby before. I didn’t know what he was going to look like.”
The hospital kept Rory in a ‘cold room’ on the labour ward, and for the next 15 days, as Lynsey recovered, the couple and their wider family spent time with their son to help say goodbye.
They also took him home for a night, for the first and last time.
“For one special night, we did everything we would have done during his first year,” Lynsey said.
“We cuddled him in bed, we read him stories and we changed and bathed him. Our families came to say goodbye, each taking a turn for one last cuddle.”
Although she and her husband still mourn their baby, Lynsey said she feels lucky to be alive.
“People often feel awkward about mentioning Rory’s name around me, but I love talking about my son. He’s just as much a part of our family as our living children.”
