Steph Ward
Oscar Jacob Russell
Fundraising for Dudley Group NHS Charity
Story
Oscar brought so much love and happiness to our lives in such a short amount of time, it’s hard to believe that he left us so soon.
Here’s Oscar’s story...
We found out we were expecting Oscar on 2nd February 2019. I’ll never forget the excitement and love we had from the moment we knew we were going to be parents, all the hope and planning started to welcome our precious little boy into our lives.
We decided to tell family on Mother’s Day (and Dan’s birthday) after our 12 week scan. It was the best day, everyone was so excited and immediately started to look forward to the next six months when we would all be able to meet our new addition!
I had the best pregnancy, I was low risk and was seen by the community midwives throughout. We decided to find out what we were having, and so in May we discovered we were having a little boy! It meant we could finally call my bump ‘him’ or ‘he’, affectionately calling him ‘Little Man’ and nicknamed ‘Jeff’ by the girls at work!
Oscar’s due date came and went, and on the 21st October when the midwife came to do a final sweep, that’s when our world fell apart. She couldn’t find a heartbeat. The next 36 hours were a blur; we were moved into the bereavement suite and had to make some of the most heartbreaking decisions a new parent will ever have to make.
I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy at 05:24 on Wednesday 23rd October. He’s perfect in every way, from his little pout to his tiny toes! The first and last time we held him was amazing but equally heartbreaking; our Little Man all wrapped up in the clothes and blanket we’d picked out for him, he just looked as if he were asleep. Saying goodbye to Oscar was the hardest thing we’ll ever have to do. He took a piece of us with him when we had to leave the hospital with empty arms.
The care we’ve received from Russell’s Hall Hospital was fantastic. And the support from Holly Haden, the Bereavement Midwife has been nothing short of brilliant. The bereavement suite was named ‘Luna’s Legacy’ and couldn’t have been more perfect.
Russell’s Hall currently have one bereavement suite, however they are in need of a second to support families going through the worst possible time. Therefore, we are raising money through the Dudley Group NHS Foundation trust as part of ‘Supporting Baby Bereavement’ to develop a second bereavement suite on the maternity unit at Russell’s Hall Hospital. This room will be similar to the first, and the money raised will enable us to:
- redesign and restructure an existing room to become a second bereavement suite to include soundproofing where possible.
- tastefully redecorate with soft furnishings, mood lighting and a double bed. Also to offer facilities such as a fridge, kettle and a water fountain.
- provide provisions to create keepsakes which will enable the family to build precious memories with their baby.
All of these things can and will make such a difference to families in similar situations to ours, and that is why we’re raising money to support Russell’s Hall in being able to develop a second bereavement suite.
Thank you so much,
Steph, Dan and Oscar ♥
