We could register one stillborn twin but not the other... it was harrowing

A COUPLE have spoken of their heartache at having lost three babies in the space of six months.

Lucy Black and Adam Hendry, from Elland, told of their trauma following three stillbirths.

But to compound their grief, the parents say their son Joshua doesn’t exist in the eyes of the law, as they lost him before a cut-off mark of 24 weeks for the registering of births.

The couple are now campaigning to change a legal loophole which means some stillbirths cannot legally be registered.

Lucy was carrying Matilda when she was stillborn at 35 weeks last August. Despite their devastation, the couple were delighted to find they were expecting twins two months later.

But tragedy struck again when Lucy went into premature labour at 21 weeks, losing Joshua, followed by his sister Harriet two days later.

Although tiny Harriet showed signs of life at birth, she tragically passed away just a few minutes later.

The twins were buried at a small family service, followed by the release of pink and blue balloons.

The couple say that although Matilda and Harriet’s births were registered, they are unable to put Joshua’s on the National Register as his birth was classed as a late miscarriage.

The UK law currently states that parents of children born without signs of life before 24 weeks won’t be given a birth certificate.

The brave couple have now launched a campaign calling for all babies to be registered, no matter at what stage of pregnancy they were lost.

Teaching assistant Lucy, 32, who also has six-year-old son Finlay from a previous relationship, has drawn similarities between her experience and a recent storyline in Coronation Street where character Michelle Connor lost her son Ruairi at 21 weeks and was unable to register his birth.

Lucy said: “When Matilda was stillborn at 35 weeks, we could register her birth and death.

“Having to go through it all again in such a short space of time is horrific, and then to be able to register one of our twins and not the other has hit hard. It was so harrowing, everything fell apart.”

Now Lucy and Adam, 34, a property developer, are concentrating on getting a change in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 so babies like Joshua can be officially registered.

And they’ve started a petition to get it debated in the Commons.

To sign it, visit petition.parliament. uk/petitions/187027.