A woman from Eastwood has shared the heartbreak of losing a newborn baby as she aims to raise money to tackle baby loss.
Ellie Day, 38, suffered agony three years ago on March 17 at Southend Hospital when she lost her son, Charlie, to stillbirth without any known cause.
While 39 weeks pregnant she went for a routine check-up over Charlie’s reduced movement with doctors finding he had suddenly died. She gave birth three days later, a week before he was due to be born.
Since that time Ellie has given birth to another son, one-year-old Jack, but admits the pain of losing Charlie may never fully go away.
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She said: “Until you experience it you don’t realise that happens, that babies die for no known reason.
“All test available were done on him and done on me and nothing came back so it’s one of those tragic things that happen you’ve got to try and live with.
She added: “You don’t ever really move on; you try and move forward, and your life grows around it. He’s very much a part of our family, even though he’s not here.”
In Charlie’s name Ellie and her friend Helen Cant, also 38, will set about raising money for baby loss charity Sands, who supported her and her family in aftermath of Charlie’s loss, by climbing Snowden on May 21.
Their challenge will start just before midnight with the two hoping to reach the summit of the mountain at sunrise where Ellie will leave a rock with Charlie’s name on it.
She added: “I’m looking forward to the challenge, it’s good to have something to do in Charlie’s name. That focus is a reason to speak his name with people. I’m doing it for other parents and for Helen who’s been amazingly supportive throughout everything.
“Helping others is something you feel you can do. You can’t do anything for Charlie so helping others is a really good focus of our energy.
“Sands have supported us where we’ve needed them. They were our first point of contact really for this whole world of baby loss, they answer questions like how you do you plan a baby’s funeral. It’s things you never normally have to think about.”
To send a donation, visit the JustGiving link here.
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