We’re planning baby’s funeral before he is born
Nicole and Jordan told their unborn son will not live due to birth defect
A HEARTBROKEN couple are planning the funeral of their first child before he is even born.
Nicole Gaunt, 19, and Jordan Garvie, 22 have been told the baby boy may only live for minutes due to a rare condition.
And Nicole said: “When the doctor told us there was no cure I just burst into tears.”
A YOUNG couple who are expecting their first child have told of their heartache that he won’t survive for long after birth because of a rare condition.
Nicole Gaunt, 19, and partner Jordan Garvie, 22, are already planning a funeral for their baby boy, who is due next week.
Doctors told them at a 12-week scan that their baby – who they’ve called JJ – was suffering from a birth defect called anencephaly.
It means he’s missing a major portion of his brain, skull and scalp and may only live for a few minutes after being born.
Nicole, from Cambuslang, Glasgow, said: “We had an early scan at eight weeks but everything seemed fine. I had no idea anything was wrong.
“During our 12-week scan, the doctor left the room and we didn’t know what was happening. Then another doctor came in and scanned me in silence. We were so scared. “After a while, he told me that my baby’s head wasn’t forming properly. He explained what anencephaly was and told us there was no cure or treatment. Our hearts sank. I just burst into tears.”
Anencephaly occurs during embryonic development – typically between the 23rd and 26th day following conception – and affects the development of the child’s head.
Babies born with anencephaly are usually blind, deaf and unaware of their surroundings.
There is no cure or treatment for the condition which is thought to affect one in 1000 pregnancies. Most infants do not survive birth
and those who are not stillborn usually die within a few hours or days from cardiac arrest.
Nicole and Jordan were given the option of terminating the pregnancy but the couple knew instantly that they wanted to continue.
Nicole said: “We were already so in love with him.
“He was still fighting, so we felt we had to, too. We just wanted to give him a chance and cherish every moment we have with him.”
JJ is due on May 15. Heartbroken Nicole said: “We just don’t have a clue what will happen.
“We don’t know if he will live for days, hours, or even only minutes. We will just have to see how long he fights for.”
The couple have arranged for JJ to receive end-of-life care at Robin House hospice in Balloch, Dunbartonshire.
And now the brave mum has set up a JustGiving page to appeal for funding to help the family pay for their baby’s burial plot and headstone.
Nicole writes on the page: “It is breaking my heart to speak about the next step of planning JJ’s funeral.
“If anyone could manage to make a small donation, it would be much appreciated. All the support has been amazing and we would just like to thank you for being part of this journey.”