‘It was heartbreaking to lose Emily — we are just devastated’

Those were the words of a Tayside couple who spoke to the Tele today about the heartache of their daughter being stillborn.

Bernadette Nelson and Michael Hay were left devastated after their daughter Emily died in the womb, just hours before Bernadette went into labour. The expectant mum became ill after she suffered blood clots and infection in her placenta.

Now the Blairgowrie couple are hoping to raise £1,300 for Ninewells’ Tulip Suite — a facility for families to spend time with stillborn babies.

The money will be used to purchase a cuddle cot, which regulates the temperature of stillborn babies so families can spend time with them.

Bernadette said: “I’m 35 now and Michael is 33. We both have children from previous relationships. This felt like our last chance to have a baby. We were desperate to have her.”

After feeling pain and thinking she was ready to go into labour, Bernadette went to Ninewells.

Choking back tears, she said: “I was in hospital but Emily stopped moving. Then at about 2pm, the pain suddenly stopped.

“I was wired up to a machine and they checked the heartbeat. I could see by the look on the nurse’s face something wasn’t right.

“A doctor came down and said they had mistaken my heartbeat with the baby’s. Emily wasn’t moving and there was no heartbeat.

“Then the doctor said: ‘I’m sorry, the baby has passed away’.

“I was in a total daze, screaming and crying. We were heartbroken, absolutely devastated. It felt like she was just taken away from us.”

Michael said: “It’s been so hard. It was hard for me but for Bernadette to have Emily inside her for nine months, to feel her kicking every day — it’s unimaginable.

“The Tulip Suite is fantastic. We got three days and nights with her. We held her, kissed her, cuddled her, sang to her — even changed her nappy. It meant the world to us to be able to do that.”

Bernadette said: “After three days it was time to leave. But we could have stayed there forever. She was absolutely perfect. She just looked like she was sleeping.” Emily was stillborn on February 6. Bernadette also praised Harlow’s Helping Hands, a charity which supports families who have lost

“SHE was absolutely perfect — we just never wanted to let her go.”

children, adding: “No parent should go through this. Part of us is gone forever — we’ll never be the same.”

Emily ’s funeral was private and she was interred at Blairgowrie Cemetery.

Bernadette added: “When she was born, she looked like she was sleeping. In the cuddle cot she was just beautiful and perfect.”

To donate, visit: justgiving.com/crowd funding/TheEmilyFund.

Bernadette and Michael Hay.

The memory shelf the family has set up in honour of Emily.