Dying mum’s plea to find miracle baby’s precious memories

WHEN Vivienne McDonald found out she was pregnant after being told she couldn’t have children, she celebrated a “miracle”.

But she and husband Kenny were left devastated when she then learned that she wouldn’t live to see her son Jacob grow up — after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Now, the 32-year-old is heartbroken after a phone containing images of the youngster’s first eight months with his family went missing on a shopping trip.

The Wellbank couple have launched an appeal to get it back before it’s too late.

Vivienne — who has lung disease pulmonary fibrosis — has just a few years left and husband Kenny, 51, says they’re trying to make the most of the time they have together.

He said: “Vivienne’s pregnancy was so rare and a success that doctors asked permission for her pregnancy to be entered in the British Medical Journal.

“She wanted to give hope to other mums with pulmonary and cystic fibrosis. She’s just the kindest, most generous person in the world, always thinking of someone else.

“Vivienne’s had a tough life and sometimes it’s hard not to think, ‘life just isn’t fair’ — not that she ever thinks this.

“But she should be able to see our son grow up. After everything she’s been through it’s just another thing that isn’t fair.

“It’s not something we are thinking too much about though — what’s the point of dwelling on it and wasting the little time we have all together? She knows she probably won’t live to see Jacob go to school, she has been told she only has a few years.”

The couple were at Kingsway Retail Park on Friday when they lost the Samsung A7.

They had been collecting photos and videos of Jacob growing up to give to him as part of a special memory box he can open when he’s older.

Vivienne — who ended up spending the weekend in hospital — told the Tele: “I’m really devastated. They were irreplaceable photos. I would hope someone can find it in themselves to come forward and give it back. It would mean so much to me.”

Kenny said: “I think Vivienne may have left the phone somewhere initially — she really wasn’t feeling good at the time — but I think someone’s found it and taken it.

“She’s completely heartbroken to have lost the phone because the videos and photos of Jacob can’t be replaced. I think the disappointment of this has made her feel worse and knocked her health even more.

“Jacob’s our miracle son. Finding out she won’t live to see him grow up wasn’t easy, so we started collecting as many memories on that phone as we could, while we still can.”

The couple made a heartfelt plea to whoever is in possession of the mobile to return it.

Kenny said: “We can’t even afford to buy Vivienne a new phone, so we can’t just start making the memories again.

“It’s disgusting for someone to take this, especially once they hear who they’ve taken it from and what it means. Vivienne is a sick mum who is doing everything she can to provide for her child. There are no words for how gutting it is.”