Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Riley helps ease family heartache
Little star brings festive joy after loss of gran
An Airdrie youngster born during lockdown helped bring joy to his family as they celebrated his first Christmas.
Bouncing baby Riley Bough was born in February and spent the first two weeks of his life in hospital being treated for jaundice.
He and mum Natasha Lochrie were finally discharged home later that month – but the family then suffered the tragic loss of his maternal grandmother Denise, who passed away suddenly aged just 51.
Riley has been a ray of sunshine for his family this year and was at the centre of their Christmas day as he was introduced to the festivities for the first time.
Natasha told the Advertiser: “He’s the happiest little soul and his firstever Christmas is so special, even more so as it’s the first in our new forever home which we also moved into this year.”
She and partner Reece Bough welcomed little Riley on February 5, with the new mum saying: “Reece was allowed in during the birth but could only stay for two hours afterwards; and then he and the family didn’t see him for two weeks after that as he was kept in due to jaundice.
“I was in a room with Riley for that time but wasn’t able to hold him as he was under a light, so when he was crying I just had to hold his hand.
“He was finally discharged when he was two weeks old and it was great to take him home to the family; it was snowing at that time so we couldn’t take him out in the buggy because of it!”
Little Riley had two precious weeks at home with his extended family, before they were shocked by the sudden loss of his beloved nanny Denise, a mum of four and gran of seven.
Natasha said: “My mum passed away when Riley was just a month old, two weeks after he’d got home.
It was sudden and a shock to us all; we’re glad she got to see her grandson for that time.”
She added: “Having Riley has helped the family so much this year and he’s helped my dad to have that focus – he has six granddaughters already and now to have a first grandson is lovely for him and they’re really close and have a great bond.”
Now aged 10 months, Riley enjoyed his first Christmas at home with his parents, granddad Archie and aunt Amylee, with Natasha saying: “He’s really good at unwrapping stuff!
“We were really excited for his first Christmas and to have my dad and sister at our house on the day.”